The End Is Near...

 I realize that I have not posted anything since Easter!  It seems as though this year flew by...so I thought I would show you how I am ending my year in my classroom.

These are our lift a flap bodies.  My final unit for science was Human Organ Systems and we used the OERB (Ontario Education Resource Bank) as an online, interactive way to learn about how our bodies work (see some examples of hands-on activities from the OERB below).  We also created these life sized bodies after reading about each of the organ systems.  The students took notes about each organ/system and then coloured the liftable flaps to match. The final step was assembling the completed bodies.  I think they turned out really well.  Like in real life, each body is different.

This is a finished "bionic arm" from the OERB unit on Human Organ Systems.  The students really learned in a hands on way, how the muscles and tendons work together to make the arm function.

 One of the first hands on creations was the "neuron lab" from the OERB.  The students were able to demonstrate their understanding of how the neurons are created by making their own models.

As graduation is fast approaching, the students created these fantastic "pop-art" inspired pieces which will be used as decorations for the music room where we are holding the reception for family and friends.  Hanging 50 of these will be a challenge, but they will make an outstanding exhibit of student work!

These stars and silhouettes will be hung on the wall behind our stage.  They brighten up the gymnasium and make graduation a more personal event for each student.  The students look forward to taking home the silhouettes after graduation is over. 

I like to give each student a personalized gift. This year I chose a framed poem.  I hope that my students cherish this gift as they continue on into middle school next year.

I also grabbed these lanyards at the local Dollar Tree.  I know a lot of the kids will be taking the bus or walking to school by themselves for the first time (bye bye school bus!), so I thought a lanyard would be helpful for their keys.

On Friday when my students cleaned out their desks and took home their student planners for the last time, I sent this letter home to their parents as well.  It has been a pleasure teaching this class and I will miss them all!

I know soon enough I will be in back to school mode, but for now, I need to finish out this week! What do you do for your classes at the end of the year?  Share your great ideas in the comments.

Graduation Ideas Updated

Last year, when I was just brand new to blogging, I wrote a post about what I do for graduation each year.  I was not quite as camera crazy as I have been since, so I didn't have any pictures of the actual finished project.  Well this year, I made sure I took l pictures so I could show you what the process and the finished product looks like.

In my post from last year I discussed how I had purchased the black silhouettes from a party store, and had the students add their own pictures to create a personal collage.  

Well, you can't find those silhouettes for love nor money here in Toronto, so I had to improvise.  I made templates with one of the remaining silhouettes I did have and then I gave each student a quarter page of large black poster board I had cut on the paper cutter.  

Each student traced the silhouette and cut it out prior to adding the photos, pictures and images they had brought from home.  They cut pictures out of magazines or used online images.  Some even drew their own pictures.

Silhouette templates and the stars I bought and have used each year.  The students get to keep the silhouette after the graduation ceremony, but I collect the stars and use them again the following year.

Tracing the template onto a quarter piece of black poster paper.  I was able to make four for the cost of buying one!

I asked the students to carefully plan out how they would fit their name on the scroll.  We determined the scroll was 24 cm long and 3 cm wide.  The names were much more visible when they made each letter at least 2.5 cm high and 2 cm wide.

Students decorated with images that were personal to them. 

I bought some stickers to add embellishment if the students wanted to use them.  Here is Cathy's finished silhouette prior to being mounted on the metallic star.

Cathy's finished silhouette.  

The grade six classes will put up their stars

in the gym to help decorate for the ceremony next week. 

I use Mavalus tape to help make sure everything stays in place.  If you haven't heard of this tape, you should find some, it will keep almost anything on the wall, even through humidity and wind!

Gifts for Students and a FREEBIE!

I have to admit I am having a hard time making it to the end of the year.  As some of you know, my mother is very ill with Alzheimer's and advanced cancer.  She refuses to go into palliative care, and taking care of her and my brother who also has brain cancer has taken it's toll on me these past few months.  I hadn't thought of year end gifts for my students until it was too late to order my favourite pens from For Teachers Only. If you want to read about them see this post.

I happened to be in my favourite new dollar store, Dollar Tree and my hubby pointed out some really cute clipboards.  He knows I am obsessed with clipboards and tend to buy them and hoard them (I know, I know, but that's another problem to tackle another time!)  I didn't want them for me (gasp!) but I thought how much the girls in my class would probably enjoy them.  Luckily, there were enough to buy one for each girl in my class.  That left me in a quandry about what to get the boys, when the hubby again spotted something perfect. 

 I have a few of these large erasers in my classroom supplies and the kids LOVE THEM!  Again, there were enough to buy one for each boy student.

Clipboards, erasers, highlighters and sticky page flags all from Dollar Tree.  Gift bags and tags from party store.

Aren't these adorable?  I bought other colours too but I really liked the pink ones!

In order to add a few more things I bought some highlighters and some sticky post-it flags.  I cut the flags into individual pieces.  They were still on the backing so it was perfect.  There were enough to give each child one for a grand total of $3.75.

I know the boys in my class will think of me when then use these in junior high next year!

I had purchased these cute gift bags and tags last year at Party City.  I was glad that I had enough to last for this year too!

The finished gift! Perfect for a grade six graduate!

The cards I made and printed on the colour printer at school. 

To round the gifts out, I made a cute card with a graduate picture of either a boy or a girl on it.  The poem inside is the same, but after I printed and folded the cards, I took them home and wrote a personal message to each child.  

If you would like your own FREE copy of the cards I made, just click on the LINKS at the end of the post.

The final products all ready for next week.  I can't believe that next Thursday is the last day with my class.
We finish off the year on Friday with staff meetings and closing up our classrooms.  

Click HERE for GIRL NOTECARD.

Click HERE for BOY NOTECARD.

Don't forget to check out what is going on at
Freebie Friday on TBA.  

Another fun linky for all the bargain shoppers!