Kindergarten Memories Scrapbook RoundUP Bloghop

KINDERGARTEN: Kindergarten Beginnings!

Let's face it folks, as you can see from the evidence above, I grew up in a different era. Think party-line on-the-rotary-phone: O.L.D. (If you don't know what I mean by either of those two concepts? You.Are.Young.Honey.) 

I often share this photo of *kindergarten-moi* during my Author-Illustrator school visits and start off by saying, "I am soooooooooooo old [insert: just how old are you?] that they hadn't invented color when I was a child." Ba-da-bing. And now? Now I spend a LOT of time in kindergarten.

Seriously, though. Let's take a look at that postcard from another century. It is the declaration that I have won a coloring contest: Kindergarten ROCKS!! The outfit that I am modeling with those awesome wooly knee socks? That's my store-rack Buster Brown outfit that I selected as my prize!! My first experience 'shopping.' MEMORIES!

What do I remember about kindergarten? 

• my mom putting my coloring contest page on top of the fridge for me to work on 'later'..... in installments..... so that I could do 'my best job'.... (she obviously believed in 'delayed gratification')
• my dad walking me by hand for my first day at my new kindergarten in the booming metropolis of Batesville, Indiana (we moved mid-year) 
• climbing the kazillion steps up to that new building's door
• my now-nameless K teacher playing the piano and us dancing in circles while singing and marching around, tromping about holding hands
• honestly? the taste of stale graham crackers-- while I am no culinary expert, I honestly remember thinking "these are really too stiff" during morning snack

My most vivid, techni-color memory of my K year? 

•  ROLLING PLAYDOH making a SNAKE-COIL-BASKET!

That snake coil basket play doh feel is my earliest 'tactile' memory. 

Now I am the GeeGee (grandma) to a soon-to-be first grader. Did you see the awesome letter his parents received for his first day of kindergarten? LUV me that picture of my fantastic five! [Click back to this article to see the letter better and gather up other great ideas from the brilliant Mrs. Davis, kindergarten teacher extra-ordinaire.]

First Day of Kindergarten Letter

My favorite WonderBoy Kindergarten project? LUV me his RAINBOW, RAINBOW project in the meter and shadows of the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear. You've got to click back to this article to see that idea in its entirety. 

Now that I'm on the 'round-it-up' mentality.... how about my favorite set of kindergarten rules from my travels this past year? LUV'd me some Mrs. Sherwood and her brilliant K-kiddos in character-building action.



Her set of rules is just one of over 20 that I captured in my travels last spring. It's a pretty amazing collection and since its not in my Top 10 list it will be buried forever. Click back here to see the other brilliant examples from classrooms across the country.

Classroom Rules from PreK to Primary

Sharing the excitement with South Daytona Beach Elementary Kindergarten's 100 Day Celebration was another highlight of this past year. Those ideas are in a series of articles captured back in this link. 

If you've been here long, you know that in addition to my LUV of all things Fine Arts I'm w-i-l-d about fine motor development -- which we need to lead us into the magic land-of-art. Popping into the Pataskala K-room to see this writing center below in operation was such a DELIGHT. Here's the click to that original article. 

MATH!! WHAT ABOUT MATH!!!! 

I just created a glorious MATH round-up with oodles of K ideas. 

Here's one of my favorites from those reflections. 

(Click back here for the bajillions of other math ideas.) 

Every school visit of every new year is a favorite for me. 

Yet sometimes returning to sites I've been previously kindles up extra joy. 

Take a look at my favorite bulletin boards of Kindergarten Artwork created in response to my picture books. 

Extra summer-hugs to my buddies at St. Paul Elementary for directing the k-kiddos to create amazing efforts in time for my arrival! 

Wanna see more of those St. Paul projects? Follow the links for each of my books. 

"You're Wonderful" 

"Tall Giraffe" 

"Red, White and Blue" 

Do you have visual learners in your room? 
Children with special needs? 
This earlier round-up may be my finest blogging effort. 


BLOGGING MILESTONE UPDATE!! 

• Last night I hit 20,000 followers on Pinterest!!!! Yet irony of all ironies I've just learned that you, dear readers, can NOT get from my blog to my Pinterest boards?!?!?!#*?!?! Even when I properly insert a direct link. WOE IS ME! It has something to do with the VISIBLI backbar html code that no matter what I do I can't get removed. What's up with that? I'll give you free room + board here in vacation heaven if you can help me fix it! Look for me there as: Debbie_Clement and you'll be happy you did! 
• On the 18th I hit 100,000 page views for THIS MONTH which is barely over half the way finished! I'm out-of-this-world CRAZY-CUPCAKES!!!
• AND I HAVE A FAVICON!!!! My little rainbow will show up in your tool bar -- way up top -- as you visit here, making me smile. Here's the link to Kinder-Craze that taught me how!

I was prompted to create this reflection-round up by Jennifer over at Simply Kinder. You simply must read her memories of being kicked out of kindergarten. It was her idea to launch a 'remember-when' party and she's hosting a Bloghop! I am also adding this to Teach123's First Day of School Hop!  Also added to Step into 2nd Grade.

Now that I'm thinking bloghops..... I gotta make this a bloghop. So bloggers link up! Use that image above and throw me some backlink-love!

-- Debbie --
*This post has been added to the linky over at Second Grade Sparkles. 

 Editor's Note from the future: I have now opened a little store over at Teachers Pay Teachers. 
I'm gradually uploading my songs in Mp3 format into zipped files with pdf support material. 
Come over to get your FREEBIE!