Friendship, Freebie and Giveaway

We are having so much fun meeting new friends through our blog, Facebook and Pinterest.  We love your comments and adore your feedback.  Thank you SO much! 

But, in class around this time of year, we find that friendships can be tested from time to time. It seems, one minute we’re the best of friends, and the next we "Don’t ever want to be your friend ever, EVER again!”.  It’s hard to keep up sometimes...Can't we all just get along?

To help our students remember that friends make the world go 'round, we’ve introduced beginning letter writing with our “Message Center” routine.

We provide two cups. 
One labeled “Pick Me” with their names written on popsicle sticks (name down –
no sneaky peekers!), and the other labeled “I’ve Been Picked”.

Students choose a name stick to determine who they will be writing to, then place that pulled  stick into the "I've Been Picked" cup so they are not chosen again.  

They also place an “I’ve Been Picked” card inside the mailbox of the recipient.  This way, if any name sticks accidentally end up back in the “Pick Me” cup we don’t end up with multiple letter writers for the same student or any arguments about who picked them first {insert first grade argument here - "Nuh, uh, I picked him first." "No, I did!" "No, I did!"} This happens...sometimes...a lot.  So, the extra addition of the cards was just one more reminder that they need to choose another friend...no arguments! 

Students can use the “Friendly Greetings” sentence starters to help get their letter going.  This also keeps some variety from letter to letter and steers them clear of the all too tempting “I like you.”, “You’re cool.”, “You’re fun.”…you get the idea. 

When finished, they fold it, stick it in an envelope, address it, stamp it and deliver it to their friend’s mailbox.  

Here is how we store the paper, envelopes, and rubber stamps.  They can choose their own stamp...nothing fancy, but these drawers hold all they need.  

BIG rule in our class - 
Nobody gets mail, until everyone has mail. 

This cuts down a ton on the “Can I get my mail?, Can I get my mail?” chatter that you know will happen.  It's like a domino effect…one asks, they all ask! 

        ~Another BIG rule thus was created~      
If you ask, the answer is no mail today. mwah, haw, haw...

When all mailboxes are stuffed, it is mail delivery time!  The kids love reading their letters to themselves and each other. We ask them to each personally thank the person who took the time to write their letter.  Then, they take their letters home and we begin the whole process again!  

For being such great friends to us, we've put our Message Center activity in our TpT store for FREE.  Click here to grab a copy for yourself if you'd like and please leave us feedback.  Thanks!

 

Also, don’t forget today is the last day to enter our ‘Post Bunny Giveaway'. Leave a comment under our post from April 9^th and follow Fluttering Through First Grade on Facebook for a chance to get our “We Love the Earth” unit from our TpT store.

  

Two lucky winners will be announced tomorrow morning so you have all the way until midnight to reply.  Good luck!

One Last Note...

We received the exciting news that our blog was awarded the Calculating Heart Award from our new friend, Scipi over at gofigurewithscipi.blogspot.com

She noticed our “Egg-cellent Cents” freebie {see post from April 5^th} and we’re so flattered that she did!  Her blog’s math mission is “To cure one math phobic at a time!”  She’s got some very unique ways to help students overcome their math fears and we thank her so much for the kind award which is now at the bottom of our blog under Awards.  Yay!  

As part of this award, we are to find 3 more teaching blogs who feature math in a unique and creative way.  So, we’re on the hunt! Stay tuned and thanks Scipi!

 

Christy & Tammy