Back to School 2013

It's that time of year again and I'm not sure if everyone else is back in session but we are and I have compiled a list of the Back to School ideas/links I used this year!!  I hope you enjoy!!  Best of luck this Back to School Season:)

Back to School First Day Printables
Thanks to Pinterest there are some adorable signs you can print for your child (or students) to hold to take that "first day" photo with.  My favorite is this one from ohsoprintable.com.

Back to School Notebook Printables
Want to make that plain notebook super cute?  Check out these FREE printables from TeachersPayTeachers.com!  Just set up a username and password and there are TONS of FREE printables for all occasions.

Getting to Know the Teacher
I'm a huge advocate of getting to know your teacher.  Nothing is worse as a "lead"room parent at a school as when you see a class spend money and time buying or creating something your teacher will not use.  So asking your teacher to fill out a "profile" or "favorites list" is always helpful.  You can use the one I always have posted on my blog under Documents OR you can check out this cute one from lifesweetlifeblog.com!

Curriculum Night
As always I strongly encourage ALL my room parents to utilize the time you have during Curriculum Night to ask for volunteers.  I place a sheet out with EVERY school event I am responsible for like winter and end of year party trays, tents and coolers of ice for Field Day, snacks for testing.  Parents who work are much more likely to sign up to send something in and they will often do it during the euphoria of Curriculum Night before the grinding schedule of fall sets in.  So grab them while they're hot...and then in April when you are dragging a little you can pull out that sign up sheet and see you already have volunteers (you'll just have to remind them:).  To help further this process I bring treats.  This year I made cake pops to look like apples.  I followed these directions and used red Wilton candy melts to dip them in, green striped straws I bought at Hobby Lobby and I cut green apple Rips candy to make the leaves.  I picked up those napkins in the background that look like notebook paper at Target (in the dollar section).

Teacher Treats
I like to bring a "Back to School survival kit" each year to open house.  This year I included chocolate,skittles, soda, aspirin, Shout wipes, lint brush, a sewing kit, breath mints and hand sanitizer.  I own a Silhouette and so this year I cut vinyl to embellish the hand sanitizer (and then I made a few extra for the other school administrators and staff).  If you don't own a cutting machine, Hobby Lobby has a great selection of pre-cut vinyl letters that you can just peel and stick onto any tote or bottle to embellish or personalize.  This is an insane time of year for teachers and showing them you are thinking of them with ANY little treat is very much appreciated. 

Class Christmas Tree Canvas Craft

Here's a cute holiday ornament craft we did this year.  It took about 30 minutes and the teacher used these to decorate her class tree and then we sent them home on the last before winter break.  This goes great with math lessons about graduated sizes.

Supplies:

1. Mini canvas boards (I bought mine at Michaels - they come in packs of 3-5).  
2. paint brushes or paint sponge sticks
3. Six coordinating 3/8 inch spools of ribbon (depending on how big your class is you may need 2 spools of each pattern/ribbon).  I pre-cut each ribbon for every student into the width of the mini canvas board (which for me was 2 inches).
4. Star stickers - one for each student (I found these in the scrapbook section of Michaels.
5. Modge Podge
6. Two spools of 3/8 inch ribbon to hang the canvas with.
7. Glue gun (to attach the ribbon to hang the canvas with).

Directions:

1. Pass out the canvas boards and sponge sticks or paint brushes (the teacher should have). 
2. Write the children’s names on the back of each canvas with a sharpie (and the date if you like).
3. Place a dab of paint on the canvas board and the students will cover the board with that one dab of paint.  
4. The teacher and I each brought in our hair dryers and we helped the drying process along by having the students bring us their canvases and we dried each one quickly. 
5. After the canvases are dry and the students are sitting back at their desks with them, pass out the ribbon and the star stickers
6. Explain to the students that they will make a tree with their ribbon on their canvas.  They can do this however they please.  They can cut the strips of ribbon into graduated sizes and organize them in the order they want them on the canvas with the star at the top.
7. Once they are ready to place the ribbon on the canvas you can either brush the modge podge on the entire canvas for them or you can give them a dab of modge podge and they can use a sponge or brush to spread it over the canvas and then place the ribbon and sticker onto the canvas quickly. 
8. Lay the canvases to dry again and once they are completely dry I go back over them with more modge podge just to make sure everything sticks on.
9. Hot glue the ribbon onto the back in a loop so it makes a hanger. 
10. Enjoy!

Last Minute Class Party Ideas

Alright people we are running the gauntlet this week!  You know what I mean, it's the last days of shopping while your kids are in school, you are trying to finish decorating, you have baking, church, charity work you signed up to, that random get together you planned that sounded so great 2 months ago and now you wonder WHAT you were thinking and CLASS PARTIES!!  It's OK.  It's going to be alright.  We ARE going to make it through this week!!  If you need some last minute CHEAP but cute party activities/ideas because you have ran out of time, out of money or Pinterest made you do it and it's not going as planned -  I have listed some below.

"Build a Snowman Contest"
 

M&M Wreath - Great for fine motor skills!
 

Marshmallow Snowman

Candy Cane Initial Ornament

Also, if you haven't tried www.signupgenius.com I HIGHLY recommend it.  You simply create an event, type in EXACTLY what you need and then the site e-mails parents the link where they can sign up and also sends out reminders for you.  This site is also great if you are purchasing gifts for needy families (it allows everyone to sign up for the exact items you listed for each child/person).  I haven't had any complaints and I have had a lot of feedback that they are getting more parent participation using this site.

I hope you all have a peaceful week and fabulous parties!!  We CAN do this!!