Ninja Notes

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Holidays and Seasonal

How to Create Wooden Ornaments for Christmas

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Create these adorable wooden Christmas ornaments using recycled game pieces and a little paint. Step by step instructions and design ideas are included

Have you ever seen something in a store and thought, “I can make that for way less money?” Maybe. Or, have you ever thought, “Wouldn’t it just be easier for me to buy it instead of making it?” That’s how we’ve usually felt looking for wooden ornaments for Christmas.

We accidentally made these little Christmas ornaments and they turned out so cute that we knew we had to write about them so others could make their own. This project started completely by accident, but sometimes, the happiest of accidents turn out to be blessings in disguise. So, this is our path to making some wooden ornaments from recycled game pieces, but you can take a few shortcuts with our lesson below.

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How to Make Christmas Wreaths With Recycled Materials

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This simple lesson can be done by anyone using recycled fabric. It makes a great Christmas gift from your students to their parents. Come read through all the instructions and make one for yourself and check out some of our other Christmas crafts.

Here is a great activity your students can do that is both environmentally friendly and makes a wonderful Christmas gift. If you plan on using this as a Christmas gift from your students to their families, you’re going to want to start collecting the materials a few months in advance so that you have enough pieces.

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How to Create Recycled Paper Ornaments

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Use up all that paper laying around your classroom and make some great ornaments that make great gifts! These make great Christmas or Earth Day crafts.

Here’s a little task you can give to your students to make an environmentally friendly Christmas tree ornament. Using recycled paper products is good for the environment, especially if parents keep the ornaments that are created for generations. It’s especially great if you have lots of extra paper lying around. Rescue it from the recycling bin and use it to make the holidays a little brighter.

This is a great task to put into your makerspace for the month of December, but you can make these any time of year if your paper isn’t seasonal.

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Memorable Books for Remembrance Day in Canada

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Check out these books you can use to help your students learn about Remembrance Day in Canada. The list includes picture books, novels and short activities that require reading. Best of all, most of the books can also become part of your social studies lessons. Come take a look.

Preparing for Remembrance Day commemorations is a great opportunity to talk not only about the sacrifices of the past but also about our contributions to peace. There are so many Remembrance Day activities out there, but most of them involve poppy crafts. One of the best ways to learn about the past is by reading Remembrance Day books. They are always a great way to introduce solemn topics while uplifting our students. Most of all, they are portable, easy to use, and don’t require a lot of technology.

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How To Celebrate Halloween With Alternatives To A Party

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Are you avoiding hosting a Halloween party in your classroom? Here is a list of activities you can do in your upper elementary classroom that don't involve just letting them party. Come have a read!

Let’s be honest. Halloween is not one of the best days for teachers — even worse, the day after. So, unless the day lands on a weekend, chances are you’re going to be somehow involved in Halloween festivities. So, other than sitting and eating junk food while dressed in costumes, what alternative Halloween activities can a teacher do with their class while still celebrating Halloween?

We’ve got some great ideas for you to help keep things in check!

If you have students who don’t celebrate Halloween, communicate your plans with parents so they can make the decision about whether or not their child can participate.

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10 Things We Do On the First Day of School

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We use this routine for our first day of school each year. It works for most upper elementary classrooms and is sure to get your new school year started off right.

Be honest. You either LOVE the first day of school or hate it. As a teacher, it’s a fresh start to get back to spending quality time with these little darlings. For us, it’s always a chance to correct things we did in the past and start all over again, but there are ten things we do on the first day of school that help our whole year run smoothly. Turn back to school into a great time of year for you and your students. Keep on reading to find out how to make your first day back go smoothly.

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