Almost Christmas Break

Hello to all of my fabulous follower and readers!  Is your district on Christmas Break yet?  In my district, this is the last five days before break.  I don't know about y'all, but I've found that the weeks leading up to Christmas break can be a little hairy.  So last year I began using the Elf on the Shelf in my classroom to help encourage positive behavior choices.  Since she worked out so well last year, I decided to use her again this year.  Our amazing assistant principal delivered her box, fresh from the cafeteria freezer, to our classroom.  The students were amazed at how cold the box was, and then were thrilled when our 5th Grade Buddies dropped off a SECOND package from the North Pole.  Inside that box was a copy of the Elf on the Shelf movie.  After we watched the movie and read the story, my little voted on a name for our elf.  This year she has been Christened as Frost the Elf.  Last year she was Jingles, and I just love how they keep to a theme!!
  These last 5 days before break can be very, very stressful in kindergarten.  I came up with some little notes of encouragement from our elf that would show up in our room each morning of the last five days.  With each note was a special treat.  I found a fancy wrapped box at the Dollar Tree, and inside I put enough treats and notes for each student in the class.  I place the elf on top of the box and wait for it to be found by my kiddos.  Then I read the note and they try to guess what the treat is.  Afterwards, everyone gets a treat and a note.  They totally look forward to seeing what our elf has left us.  If you use the elf in your classroom, please help yourself to this FREEBIE of positive encouragement treat notes!

Another FREEBIE that might help make your planning easier this week is a little Easy Emergent reader I created to help work with positional words.  Students use the pictures to help them figure out the positional words, and you can also use the sentences to practice finding subject and verb.  Enjoy!!

I hope that the last few days before break go as smoothly as possible for you, considering Christmas is only 10 days away!!  Can you STAND IT!?!?!  I hope that you and your loved ones get to spend some time together.  This will be our first Christmas without Mom, so I'm not sure how much celebrating we'll do, but we're keeping the spirit as alive as we can!!