100th Day Ideas Link Up and More

It sure doesn't seem like the 100th day of school could be coming up soon. Over vacation I got my January folder and was surprised to see 100th activities. I actually looked at my calendar to be sure we were getting close. We've been in school a little over 80 days so, yes, I better start thinking about it again. I was looking at stalking blogs this weekend and found that Teaching Blog Addict is having a link up to share 100th day ideas so I thought I'd share what I do and I'll have great fun browsing others ideas too. Just follow me on pinterest to get directly to my board or the button above for the link-up.

The 100th day is so much fun! My students are always sooo excited and I enjoy the break in routine too. Here are some of the things I have done to celebrate:
1. 100th Day Bottles: Day 1-I start the 100th day about a week early. I talk about 100 day bottles (an idea a found at "Read Write Think" and I just love it! Before I explain how I do it, let me tell you that the entire project with all the letters, forms, and labels is available at readwritethink.org.  I have included the class book page that I made which just suits my photographs better.
*Day 1:I hand out and discuss the parent letter with the label and clues worksheet stapled to it. I give the students a week to get their 100 day collections together. I bring in a small water or soda bottle to show the size bottle I want them to use. Students can bring their bottles in brown paper bags anytime before the 100th day.
*Day 2: On the 100th day students share the clues and the class tries to guess what the student brought. I also take their pictures individually holding their bottles.
*Day 3: On the 101st day, we complete the "writing worksheet frame" and I pull students to fill in the blanks on the class book page. (I write on it for them.) Since I teach many 2nd language learners, I always ask if it should say "his" or "her" bottle. I send the bottles home with the students once we've completed the class book page.

The first year I did this I sent the bottles home on the 100th day and when I pulled students aside the next day and said "What did you bring in your bottle?", many of them couldn't remember. I don't know if that's normal because that's the year I had to explain Clifford books, even to my English only students! And when I did a vocabulary test and showed my students photos of animals and asked them to name them, I had an English only student who couldn't tell me "giraffe" when I showed her the picture! Oh brother that was quite a year. Sweet kids, but not much fun for the teacher. But I digress....

2. As a center I put out 2 100 piece puzzles students can work on when they're finished with other things.
3. I put out my heads and tails penny stamps and a lined paper so students can stamp 100 pennies.

4. Students write about what they would buy if they had 100 dollars. I found $100 bill notepads (boy don't you wish they were real?) at Oriental Trading Company. I'm ordering these this time (before I've photocopied fake money on green paper.) I'll give each student one to glue on their paper in place of a picture when they're finished. An easy incentive for first graders. It's cute how some of them would buy cars and houses for their parents. Wouldn't that be nice for $100!

5. When students first arrive in the morning they have a crown on their desk. I cut it out of yellow construction paper and write a 100 on it. I have bowls of stickers out for kids to glue on the crown. I use those small incentive chart stickers and cut them in rows of 10 stickers each. So the kids have to count by 10's to get 100 stickers. I walk around and usually have everyone count for me so I know they've got 100 stickers. The kids just LOVE wearing them.

I had to add the happy face to use the pic. This is the pic that went in our 100 Day Bottles book.

Another super project is going on at Clutter-Free Classroom. It's a link up party about how to organized/ straighten up/ clean up your classroom. I know I have a few areas I want to tackle. Although after reading Debbie Diller's Math Work Station this summer I got my large cabinets cleaned out an organized. But I'm excited about the weekly ideas that will be shared through this link up.  I know I'll get some great ideas.

I just previewed this an realized what a long post it is. Thanks for sticking with me if you're reading this.
If you're back at school this week, I hope it's a good one for you. If you're like me and still in your pajamas, isn't it nice? Have a good day.
 Chrissy