END-of-YEAR Inspiration + Twitter Chat!

April is just around the corner. 

Can you hear the end-of-the-year plans in the making? 

PLUS Today is Tuesday!

That means that we will be chatting on Twitter oh-so-soon! 

This week's chat will be devoted to: 

"Finishing STRONG!" {End of Year} 

We welcome Palma, of KFUNdamentals to our spotlight! 

She has quite a lot of inspiration to offer!

Be sure you tune into Twitter at 9PM EST on Tuesday! 

If you are a newbie to Twitter, or just like to chit-chat with your peers, you're welcome to arrive at 8:30, 

when things will be slower and less formal and we can offer you Twitter support. 

The only real 'RULE' is to remember to use our hashtag in every tweet! That way others can 'see' your contribution and it will be transcribed into the archive of the evening's chat. 

#TeacherFriends

This week the GRAND prize is a FREE REGISTRATION to FrogStreet's SPLASH this summer! YOU HEARD ME RIGHT! 

One lucky winner gets a $350 REGISTRATION TO #FSsplash15! 

Today is the final day to get the 'EarlyBird' Discount!

Did I mention that I will be a presenter at Splash this summer? 

YES! I AM EXCITED!!! 

Can't wait to meet the winner of our #TeacherFriends free SPLASH registration! 

In honor of all things #EOY I have gathered a BUNCH of my earlier resources together into today's article. A couple of years ago I wrote this little dittie for your easy-peasy copy-to-share. 

Just personalize at the top with your student's name and sign the bottom! 

VOILA! 

It is in pdf format at our Early Education Emporium for your FREEBIE download! 

Here's a reminder of our upcoming Twitter guests! 

Now for a review of all things #EOY!

{from my archives here of earlier articles}

END OF YEAR FESTIVITIES 

Rainbows Reporting!!! I've made quite a few end-of-the-year school visits wearing my author-illustrator hat. I thought that I'd share some 'keepsakes' and rhymes that I have seen out on my circuit of "Music Lady" visits to conclude the year across the Midwest. 

  

These treasures were on the wall at Sutter Park Elementary last week. Above the teacher's desk it was  something of a walk-of-fame, like the Hollywood sidewalk. You know with the stars and handprints from the beautiful people. This wall had treasured mementos featuring the previous students. I thought you might appreciate seeing the poems included with the smiles of the classmates. 

Here's from an even earlier year as you can see. Same idea of including the photos of the classmates, this time just a slightly different format and a different rhyme. Since they're laminated they can serve as a permanent reminder of those very first school friends!

Here's what one of the classes was working on to send home this year. Heartfelt expressions of wishing well on the road to new adventures. Of course I LUV LUV LUV the color! And I never tire of handprints either!

Now from Preschool in central Ohio up to the edge of Detroit: Taylor, Michigan to be exact. Take a look at this series of rhymes, housed in the place of honor -- inside the school's showcase. So I'm taking the photos thru glass, but I think you can still get the idea. The elementary school that I visited is Blair Moody and their mascot is the eagle.... which you will see if you read to the end! 

I shared these two last week from my Fine Motor Friday continuing series, but it seems appropriate to have them housed in this round-up as well. 

This one is a 'scrambled'-up-and-rearrange project and I'm not sure that I got everything in the right order exactly, but I think you get enough to catch on -- or you can always adapt the idea for your own use. 

I shared this next one back in my popular Mother's Day post, 

but I think the rhyme is certainly suitable for 'end-of-the-year' (EOY) attaching a keepsake photo, too!!

Are you trying to remember the words in this ol' Faithful rhyme?
I was so excited to see that it is still in use! 

Every end of the school year implies the beginning of a new year is just around the corner. Every teacher I know is already contemplating how to get things started for next year. And now we have Pinterest as our ever present resource!

Here's my all-time favorite year-launching idea ever! 

This beginning-of-the-year greeting letter has been hanging here at WonderPeep Central on the refrigerator for almost a year now. You kinda get the impression that its well loved, don't you?

It seriously has to be one of my favorite pictures of the five of them. The photo was taken at a before-school starts screening, meet your teacher type event. Can you imagine my daughter's beating heart to be given this page, with this sentiment, with this pic of her crew? Yeah, Mrs. Davis!!! 

I wanna be clear. I didn't write the letter above and I don't know that Mrs. Davis did either. That's the thing about Pinterest and the internet and sharing great ideas..... I'm not certain who should get the credit for any of the written words above. Hopefully the authors of these sentiments are the type(s) that are happy to have their thoughts out and circulating even if they don't receive the credit. If these are your words, please let me know and I'll certainly give you the spotlight. 

In the mean time Happy End of the Year, Planning ahead!! 

P.S. Look what came home in WonderBoy's backpack today!!!! Yup that's Mrs. Davis with WB. The message 'below' is on the back of the photo!!

And here's her 'end-of-the-year' letter home as a keepsake.

It seems fitting to include a couple of EOY (End of Year) Bulletin Boards as well. 

Here's a couple of my favorites. 

I have two songs that I have written and recorded that each get used for End-of-Year performances.

Click the pic and you'll go to my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  

 

Please follow my new little Teachers Pay Teachers store.

I am adding my songs into zipped files with support materials, by following you'll know when I add new products. 

End of Year Poems and Festivities
Where are you in the countdown? Already celebrating summer or still with a few heartbeats to go? I'm making my annual rounds of 'end-of-the-year' Author-Illustrator school visits and I have some new images to share. 

The poem above came home in the summer bags for the WonderPeeps. Miss Janet and Miss Dee had personalized the confection of words with just the right sentiment. It's so hard to imagine that we are officially saying good-bye to the preschool era for the WPs! They're off to kindergarten in the fall. Oh.My.Word!

Now let me share some kinder-ideas from my annual two days of fun at Darby Creek Elementary. This 'piggy-back' song was on Mrs. Gilmore's flip-chart. Long term readers here know how I LUV handwritten anchor charts. Here's the first verse. Sing the verse to the tune of "Love and Marriage." (That was used most recently as the theme song of the ol' TV show 'Married with Children.')

*I don't know who to credit for this clever piggyback song. If you do, please let me know and I'll edit. We checked Mrs. G's copy and there was no author attribution. The very talented 'unknown' will suffice for now. Sorry.

Now for a kindergarten graduation bulletin board standing just outside Mrs. Sherwood's classroom door. You've maybe seen something similar on Pinterest. 
She took black and white photos of her kiddos holding the announcement of their intended profession. 

This may be your first visit here and if so, welcome. I am a singer-songwriter of original songs for children. I make my way around the country visiting classrooms sharing my original songs and their picture book format. 

My song, "You're Wonderful" is the ultimate 'graduation' song of affirmation and guaranteed to bring on genuine tears for this meaningful time of transition. 

"You're Wonderful" Digital Download 

Here's the link to YouTube watch it being performed by a combination of preschool children and ECE college students at a family gathering. 

Honest-to-goodness. If you taught my song tomorrow, it could be 'ready-for-performance' by the next day. It's that simple. Your kiddos REALLY will sing it. The sign language will guarente video footage will be shot. 

I am now receiving feedback that some schools are using my "Red, White and Blue" for their end of the year concerts and performances. I am doubly blessed! It would be truly PERFECT for your Memorial Day festivities. It too is a picture book, but the song and sign language chart are also available in digital download format. 

As always, your pin(s) from my articles are the very best marketing I have -- besides your word of mouth enthusiasm. I am so grateful when you share my work with others. Pinterest is my number one source of traffic here and is now resulting in my visits to schools! Thanks so much for your pins! 

-- Debbie -- 

I'm now at 120,989 followers!     

Click this link to go there directly! 

Now at 319 followers!

Searching for an End-of-the-Year "PERFORMANCE" Song? 

Plus an opportunity to win!!

You've come to the right place! I have two choices for your monumental end-of-the-year graduation, that are each available in digital download format. Even if your EOY program is just days away, your class will master either (or both) of these beauties in record time, bringing tears to all, just before the curtain call! Choosing from one of these time honored selections will make your own trek to the finish line that much easier.

First suggestion: My 'instant classic' "You're Wonderful." 

This perennial favorite is from my very first recording that was released initially as a cassette tape! Remember those? I have gone on to turn this Golden Oldie into the traditional picture book format. The student artwork in this article was created by kindergarten children in Tennessee in response to the quilts I created for my book's illustrations. 

Here we are comparing the actual fabric quilt illustration to the picture book format. {I'm EXCITED.} 

Here's another K classroom 'response' to my graphic illustrations! 

Needless to say, 

I am WILD about each of these different media collaborations. 

The symmetric butterflies take on my quilt color scheme, too! 

AWESOMESAUCE!

Three different rooms. 

Three different teachers. 

Three different treatments!!!  

If you haven't heard the song before, please take two minutes and listen in on this next little flip-to-gram to get familiar with the lyrics. I'm sure you will see how the simple repetition in the lyrics lends itself to your 'real' classroom of 'real' students learning the song in a heartbeat. They will already be near mastery on the first listen themselves. The digital file includes a pdf of simple sign language to support the performance of 

"You're Wonderful." 

The digital download, zipped file is available directly from me at our Early Education Emporium. 

It is also available at Teachers Pay Teachers. 

Here's a sneak peek of the cover of the picture book format!

I've created a collage of the artwork up above to show off their incredible designs. 

Remember? 

Life is always more fun when you have choices!

<<<<<< drumroll >>>>> 

I am hearing from lots of folks that they are using my song

"Red, White and Blue" 

in their end-of-the-year festivities:

Flying Up Song.

Graduation Song.

Memorial Day Song. 

Call it what you want. 

This is a second perfect choice! 

Here's a glimpse of the Kinder artwork made in response to the artwork and quilted illustrations in this, my newest picture book version. I need to write an entire article, [perhaps a whole series] on how this work is AUTHENTIC Artwork and the benefits of directing your students and loved one toward their OWN AUTHENTIC ART! 

Memorial Day is just around the corner. 

What could be more fitting in America?

I wrote this dittie immediately in the aftermath of September 11th. 

While it is indeed simple and could still be learned to performance specifications in the time remaining -- it is VERY heartfelt and sings of Americana.

So back to your choices! 

"Red, White and Blue"

is available in a digital/immediate download zipped file at

Early Education Emporium 

as well as Teachers Pay Teachers. 

As the year winds down these pictures remind me of what an amazing year it has been. 

These photos were taken by my blogging buddy Mr. Greg. 

Yes. THE Mr. Greg of Kindergarten Smorgasboard. 

Greg took the day off of school, so that he could 'see-me-in-action' at his friend 

Kristine's school across Music City.

Kristine was the hostess of this entire author-illustrator school visit. 

She has been inspired to join the blogging-cyber world and can now be found sharing here at: 

Mrs. Harrison's Sweet Nuggets.  

Would you be a real helper bee and pin from this post? 

Most people find me via Pinterest. 

I am so grateful for your support. 

Thank you. 

Again. Remember you can get my dittie in pdf format for an easy printing.

End-of-Year Count Downs have begun in Earnest! 

Making my school author-illustrator visits at this time of year is always a delight. Teams are working together like well-oiled machines. Classrooms are in the groove of routine. Students are thrilled to have something *NEW* on the agenda! Voila. Look at all of the excitement that greeted me exactly one week ago in Tennessee. What fun to get introduced by an enthusiastic principal! 

Look at that backdrop of student artwork in response to the illustrations in my three picture books! For this visit I was the guest of Kristine, brand new blogger at "Little Nuggets." I will have a future article where we revisit all of this amazing and AUTHENTIC student artwork! 

Today I thought the greatest service that I can offer up quickly is to share these great End-of-the-Year bulletin Boards that were on display just inside their front door. 

Here's a variation on the classic concept, 

"When I Grow Up I Want to Be............." 

There are some universal answers here: 

- teacher

-doctor 

-singer 

and I just giggled-out-loud when I saw: 

-demolitionist!

This A to Z bulletin board for career consideration was right beside the one above about specific student aspirations. I was especially tickled to see that the Q prompted the suggestion of QUILTER as a career! 

When we are all gathered together in the gym or cafeteria for my presentation, I always make a point to tell even the youngest groups that, "THIS IS MY JOB!" I get paid money to come to schools. Even the littles are impressed with that concept! MONEY? She get's paid money to be a quilter? That's a real job? Well, if you check the anchor chart above, you'll note that the letter 'I' can be an ILLUSTRATOR. 

Yes. I make my picture book illustrations from fabric as small quilts! 

Now for a couple of other happy EOY bits and pieces.

I saw this variation of the grown up job aspiration in OH last spring. 

These Floridians are used to wearing their 'shades'

but this concept is a real winner -- where ever the location! 

Drumroll!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Here's the perfect caption that can be adapted for a bulletin board or used to decorate your classroom door as 'picture' below! Grab up some FAVE pictures from the year's highlights and display them prominently. The PERFECT way to reflect over the year that is reaching a conclusion. 

Here's a couple of other smile makers! 

Father's Day is also on the horizon! 

This is a s-w-e-e-t idea for the PreK crowd. 

This was the first and last image I saw as I entered and departed from the TN school last week. 

What an utterly brilliant idea to 'signal' parents their timeliness for arrival. 

Such a pleasant reminder. 

I LUV LUV LUV the message of THANKS! for being on-time! 

Would you be a sweet heart and pin from this article? 

Every pin sends another ripple into the cyber world and brings new eyes back here. 

Thanks so much for your help, by sharing.

Click to follow me! Join my 150,000+ friends!

Yes! I finally hit 170,000 followers at Pinterest! 
Whoooop! Whoooooop!

Thanks for starting ripples.