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Something Old, Something New and Blue

My classroom is slowly coming together.
I feel like I can't even begin to plan or think about anything else until the classroom is ready.  I will post pics of my classroom and (hopefully) others next week.  We have some super duper creative teachers on my campus and I would LOVE to show them off.  Stay with me, I'll be back next week with pics.

Okay, let me start with something OLD.  See this little schedule pocket chart....
Yes, I had to have this.  If I had this then I would never be late for specials again.  The kids would never ask "what time is lunch?" again.  Well, I finally got this neat little schedule chart and guess what????  I was still mall walking to specials and making special signs with the kids to place next to the clock about the time of lunch.  So, basically, it didn't solve these problems and eventually I quit putting it up.  


Until now.....meet something NEW and BLUE.
(blue, really has nothing to do with anything, just seems like I should use all these words together) :)

A reading response pocket chart.  Yay!!  I carefully folded this up and used garage sale stickers to number a pocket for each child.  I found these cute little notebooks at Wal-mart, 4 for 89 cents.
Kids LOVE to write, especially if you give them something new and fun to write in.  We will use these to respond to stories that I read to them or a story that they are reading independently.  Once they write their response they will tear it out, fold it once and place it in their number.  I can quickly see who has not responded and who has.  Then I can go through and read their responses or allow them to share with the class later. 
Do you repurpose things in your classroom??   

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