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Let’s Talk About Blogging

blogging vector graphic

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know that I’m not great at blogging.  I swear that I’m going to do better and it’s not that I don’t try, but it just doesn’t happen.  I used to love to blog.  Then I think it began to feel like work to me.  I wasn’t sure it was worth it.  I know that many of you have followed me for years and I truly appreciate it.  It takes time and patience to read blogs or even to read the newsletters from the blog.

woman typing on laptop with cell phone close by

I recently watched a class on blogging and it made me realize how very much I miss it.  Plus, I know that I have this amazing following that has stuck by me through it all.  So now, what’s this woman to do?

Well, I’m going to make an honest effort to get back into blogging.  I know better than to make promises.  I’m going to start slow and work my way up.  For now, I’m going to start at one blog post a month and see if I can do that consecutively for a couple of months.  Yes, ONE post a month now.  I’ve got to start someplace!  If I can do that, I’m going to move up to blogging twice a month.  I’d really love to maintain that.  How does that sound to all of you?

My ultimate goal will be to blog once a week….or 4 times a month.  I don’t know if that’s possible for me.  I’m constantly going different directions and blogging is going to require my focus.  The good news is that I can get it all typed out and schedule it to post!  Oh my goodness, imagine this blog and this site active again.  We’ll have to see and well, I feel good about this right now!

So what I need from all of you is to know what you’d like to see.  Of course, I’m going to blog about the things that I love.  I’d like your opinion too.  Leave a comment on this post and let me know what you’d like to see from me.  It can be about a topic, how to use a product, life, photography, religion/religious education, and well, just about anything that might interest you.  I’ll do it, if it’s within my power or realm of knowledge.  If it’s something that I don’t know about or something, I’ll let you know.  I promise, I won’t just ignore you!  Again, reply to this post about what type of things would interest you to see here.

Oh and yes, more frequent blogging will probably mean a few more freebies posted on the blog/site and in the “For Subscribers ONLY” area.  

Here’s to the future of blogging….well, ME blogging!

 

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Amazing Deal on Deposit Photos

black background Deposit Photos logo

Do you use stock photos and images? If so, AppSumo has an amazing deal for you at DepositPhotos!  Here’s the deal….$39 for 100 credits.  What you get….

  • 100 stock photo and vector image downloads of any size (small, medium, and large)
  • Unlimited stacking
  • Credits that never expire
  • All images are royalty-free and come with a Standard License (that means you can use them commercially for social media posts, graphic designs, ebook covers, etc. without any attribution. However, you are not allowed to resell images.)
  • 1 image (any size) is 1 credit

DepositPhotos has over 100+ million images (photos, vectors, and illustrations) to choose from in their and they are royalty-free.  The images may be used for commercial purposes, that include both online and print.  images you can used in your ebook, blog, website, social media, and emails.  So what are you waiting for?  These deals go fast, so click here to grab your DepositPhotos 100 credits for $39 at AppSumo now!

 

 

Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links.  Please see my full disclosure policy here.

 

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It’s Time for Teacher Appreciation – Sale and FREEbies

Hello all!  It’s been awhile again, but I just have to say THANK YOU to all the “teachers” out there who makes this blog and my store possible.  You all are amazing!  As a “thank you”, I’m having a sale at all of my The Treasured Schoolhouse stores.  

teacher appreciation sale and freebies blog post

Every single item in my stores will be on sale for 20% off on 4-5 May.  This is the perfect time to stock-up on all those things that you need to finish out the year, keep the kids busy through summer, or even start off next year with!

You can check out my teacher appreciation sales for The Treasured Schoolhouse at….

TeachersPayTeachers:  20% off with an extra 5% off (for a total of up to 25% off) with code THANKYOU21

Amazon Ignite:  20% off

Teacher’s Dojo:  20% off

Made by Teachers:  20% off

As I always do for Teacher Appreciation, I’m going to list some FREEbies that I’ve found (mostly on TpT).  I encourage you to check them out as soon as possible, because many of them only last for a limited amount of time.  I also recommend that you check back to these stores daily, as they’ll add a FREEbie each day of Teacher Appreciation Week.  So without further ado, here’s your Teacher Appreciation FREEbies for 2021….

Check out these amazing deals and freebies for Teacher Appreciation Week….

  • Office Depot/Office Max:  From Sunday through Saturday, teachers who are Office Depot/OfficeMax Rewards members will receive 25% back in rewards on a qualifying purchase when they present a coupon (The coupon will be available online at officedepot.com/teachers beginning Sunday.) and rewards number at checkout.
  • Staples:  Teachers get 20% off in-store (only) purchases for Teacher Appreciation Week from May 2-9 when they present a valid school ID at check-out.
  • Buffalo Wild Wings:  Teachers get 20% off orders at participating locations Monday through this Friday for dine-in or takeout when they show a valid teacher ID. 
  • Outback Steakhouse:  This week through Friday, the chain is including teachers in its 10% off Heroes Discount when they show a school badge or ID.
  • McAlister’s Deli:  Teachers get a free tea Monday through this Friday when they show their school badge or ID. Also, through Thursday, the chain is taking nominations for a teacher to win free catering on their website.
  • Sonic Drive-In:  This deal is in honor of teachers but open to everyone with the Sonic app. This week, through May 9, use promo code TEACHERS at checkout online or in the app to unlock a free large drink or slush with any purchase.
  • Epson:  Five teachers will be selected to receive an EcoTank ET-4760, an extra set of replacement ink bottles and a ream of EcoTank Paper through a social media contest Monday through Friday. Go to @epson on Facebook, @epsonamerica on Instagram or Twitter and enter for a chance to win.
  • Costco:  Teachers can join as a new member and receive a $20 Shop Card.  More information can be found here.

Here are the Teacher Appreciation FREEbies posts from previous years….

2017           2018            2019            2020

Please remember that it doesn’t matter if you work in a daycare, homeschool, are a teacher in the classroom, a professor, a parent, or anyone else that works with kids, teacher appreciation is for YOU and you matter!  Thanks for all you do! 

Happy Shopping!

 

Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links.  Please see my full disclosure policy here.

 

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It’s February and It’s Time for Love

There’s no better time to show love than February!  The best way I know to show love to all of you is to have a sale!

TpT Sale banner square with cactus

All the resources in all my stores will be on sale for 20% off on 9-10 February.  Yes, I said ALL!  That includes already reduced prices like on bundles.  I’ve been working on uploading new materials too, and even those will be on sale.  Some of the new work includes “Shrove Tuesday (or Pancake Day) Worksheet & Activity Pack”, “Bible Verse Copywork about Love”, “Our Lady of Lourdes Worksheet & Activity Pack”, and BOOM Cards™.  Also today, I’ll be uploading “Precepts of the Catholic Church Pack”.

You can shop this sale for The Treasured Schoolhouse at….

Teachers Pay Teachers use code FEBSALE21 for an extra 5% off at checkout

Made by Teachers

Teacher’s Dojo

Amazon Ignite

I hope that you all find something that you can use and it’s something that the kids will have fun with while they learn.  If you have any requests, I’d love to hear from you to see if I can help you out.  As always, thank you for following The Treasured Schoolhouse and thank you for just being you and being here!

Happy Shopping!

 

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Cyber Monday

This year has gone by so fast.  I can’t believe that Thanksgiving has already come and gone.  I hope that you all are doing well and staying healthy.  I’ve been busy creating lots of new activities to help you and your kids with their religious education.  There’s many new things listed at The Treasured Schoolhouse and I hope that if you haven’t already seen them, that you’ll check them out soon.

Since the year has gone by so fast, and we’re past both Thanksgiving and Black Friday, it’s time for Cyber Monday!  Cyber Monday means that it’s time for a sale!  

Cyber Sale up to 25% off

All of The Treasured Schoolhouse stores will be on sale for 20% off on 30 November and 1 December.  Yes….every single resource in my shops are on sale!  You can find The Treasured Schoolhouse at…. 

TeachersPayTeachers – 20% off plus an extra 5% off with code CYBER20

Made by Teachers – 20% off (I had trouble scheduling this one, so I’m not sure if it’s going to work or not.)

Teacher’s Dojo – 20% off

Amazon Ignite – 20% off  (Amazon automatically sets this one, so it starting depends on them.)

I want to tell you about a few new things at The Treasured Schoolhouse….

First, there’s the Our Lady (Marian) series that I’m working on.  When completed, there will be at least one pack per month of activities to do for Marian celebrations.  Currently available are the Queenship of Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Sorrows, and several more!  I’m currently working on Our Lady of Guadalupe for her celebration in December.

Also for December is St. Nicholas Day and I have an activity pack for that.  There’s lots of things for kids of all ages to do.  Last year, I made a similar pack for St. Lucia Day.  Now that they’re both done, there’s a bundle available that include both packs and it’s 20% off the individual prices.  But guess what!?  With the Cyber Monday sale, you can get an additional 20% that already discounted price!

I’ve also been working on some Math Packs.  I made a new one for Halloween with candy corn and one for December/Christmas with candy canes.  I really had fun making those and hope that early learners love them as much as I do!

Some other new materials to note, I finished the “people in the Bible” series.  It now includes Fathers, Mothers, and Children in the Bible.  I love these resources!  I’ve also added to the “family tree” series by adding Noah and Adam.  There’s an Inside the Church Bingo Game and 3-Part Montessori Cards.

So please don’t miss this opportunity to grab some great deals!  I hope that you all have a very Happy and Blessed Holiday Season!

 

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Let’s Go Digital!

distance learning classroom

This has been quite the time for all of use.  Whether you homeschool, are a teacher, work in a daycare, or anything else related to working with kids, this has been a changing and learning time.  Many schools and classes went to online learning and some had to send printed packs home.  This time has changed for not only the teacher or parent, but also for the student.  Online learning and distance learning are the main forms of education right now.  I’m trying to adapt with the changing times.

iPad or Chromebook for online learning or distance learning

In an attempt to grow and change with the times, I’ve joined a group beta testing on TpT.  What this beta test group is doing is adding a layer over simple PDFs and making them interactive.  Some of the features that can be added are a text box so that students can type their answers in, a pen, and a highlighter.  For those stores part of the beta test group, the seller and the buyer can make these changes by adding this layer to the PDF.  

How it works is a button is clicked on to make it digital and the resource will open.  The pages to make “digital” are then opened and you select which pages you want to use.  For example, you can remove the answer keys so that the students aren’t seeing those.  The answer (text) boxes are then layered on top.  You can also type directions in the side bar of each page.  An example of directions would be, “Use the highlighter to mark the words in the puzzle as you locate the words found in the “Word Bank”.  Once you do that, you assign it to your class in Google Classroom.  The student will then open it and know to use the highlighter to mark the words in the word search.

What I’m doing to help is to put the digital layer on my resources.  I’m picking the pages that I think work best for online learning and the resources that will work best.  I know I have resources that this won’t work for at all, but I don’t currently have the option to exclude them.  I know that there’s also pages in each resource that it won’t work well with.  It’s my hope that I can make this easier on anyone who purchases something from me on TpT for online and distance learning.

This is actually a rather long and tedious process, but it’s worth it to me if I can help anyone in doing this.  I’m making a list of the resources that I’ve updated with this digital layer.  It hopefully makes it easier to find the things that are already updated.  As I said though, the buyer also has the option to update with the digital layer since I’m part of the beta test group.  You can click here to see the list and I will continue to update the list as I do more resources.

I hope that this helps you all in some way during these changing times.  I’m not even sure what to expect as we go back to religious education in the Fall, but I think that I’m ready.  I know that I’ll do what I have to do and I know that you all will as well. 

Stay safe and healthy!

 

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Teacher Appreciation Sale and Freebies

apple with "thank you"

It’s time to say THANK YOU to all the teachers out there!  It doesn’t matter if you’re a daycare worker, homeschooler, teacher, religion teacher, or teach at any capacity, this is for you.

Let’s start with a sale!hands holding heart rock for teacher appreciation sale

The Treasured Schoolhouse @ TpT:  On 5-6 May, there will be up to 25% off!  Everything will be 20% off and with code THANKYOU20, you’ll get an extra 5% off. 

The Treasured Schoolhouse @ The Wheel:  A sale at The Wheel for 30% off using code CELEBRATE.  The sale dates are 5-6 May.  

The Treasured Schoolhouse @ Amazon Ignite:  Everything will be 20% off on 5-6 May.

The Treasured Schoolhouse @ Teacher’s Dojo:  Everything in the store will be 20% off on 5-6 May.  Plus, spend $5 or more and get 5% off or spend $15 or more and get 10% off!

The Treasured Schoolhouse @ Made by Teachers:  Everything in the shop will be 20% off on 5-6 May.

chalkboard with "thank you teacher", a smiley, and a heart

Now it’s time for some amazing FREEbies for Teacher Appreciation!  Some of the free resources in these links are free for a limited time and others will always be free.  Also, some will have free resources each day this week, so you’ll need to check back at the store or site to see if they add any more.

Teacher Appreciation Freebie from Jen Hart Design (will add more this week and includes previous years)

Teacher Appreciation Freebie from Lovely Jubblies Teach (will add more this week and includes previous years)

Borders Freebie – Teacher Appreciation from Kelly Benefield

FREEBIE!  Teacher Appreciation Day from Krista Wallden at Creative Clips (will add more this week and includes previous years)

FREE Teacher Appreciation 2020 Clipart Set from EduClips (will add a new set each day, check back at store and past years)

FLASH FREEBIE #1 from Rainbow Sprinkle Studio – Sasha Mitten (free for the week and more to come on IG)

THANK YOU FREEBIE from P4 Clips Trioriginals (more to come through the week, so check back at store and previous years)

Teacher Appreciation Frame Kit Freebie – Floral from KB Konnected

FREE Teacher Appreciation Clip Art Set from Chirp Graphics

Teacher Appreciation 2020 Clip Art Set from Artifex (will add more sets this week, so check back at store and past years)

Clip Art – Teacher Appreciation Gift 1 – Online Learners from English Unite (check store to see if add more during the week)

Teacher Appreciation FREEBIE – Backgrounds from Minders

Teacher Appreciation Clipart Freebie from Creating 4 the Classroom (this is #1, so probably more to come and be sure to check back at the store)

Here are the Teacher Appreciation freebies from previous years….

2017           2018            2019

 

Happy Shopping!  Thank you for all that you do!

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Temporary Update to TOU

"update" in purple box

Hello all!  In an effort to help my buyers and followers, I’m doing a temporary update to my Terms of Use (TOU).  Please read below for the complete update.

update on blue arrow with other blue and white arrows

 

With the current situation of schools being closed and masses, as well as religious education/Sunday School classes being cancelled, I’m opening my TOU to try to help you get the resources to the students.  Please note that these are temporary updates and there are stipulations, so please read thoroughly. 

Here are the changes to the TOU….

  1. You may upload resources to a site, BUT it must be secured.  That means that parents/students require a password or something similar to access the resources.  That way, others can’t do a random Google search and it shows up in the search results for just anyone to download.
  2. You may use my resources on Google (Drive, Classroom) for access by your students/families.  They should be the one ones allowed access and the link shouldn’t be shared with anyone but your own class.
  3. You may send my resources via e-mail so that your students/families can have access to them.    
  4. You may print off my resources and put in packets to handout to your students/families to work on at home.  This should only be done for class.

terms of use text on blue arrow with other blue and white arrows

Here are the Terms for being able to do the above….

  1. My name/copyright must stay in-tact on each page.
  2. The resources you purchase are only for your classroom and must not be shared with other teachers/classes.  You can purchase additional licenses for a discount price if other teachers are interested in the resource.
  3. These temporary changed to my TOU are only effective until 30 April.  At that time, I will re-access the situation and see how many schools and churches are still closed and/or doing distance learning.

I hope that this is of help to all of you.  I know that this is a trying time for all of us.  I want to help as much as I possibly can.  Additional things that I’m trying to do is update the freebies on my blog and make sure that all the links are working to download.  This is quite time consuming and not going as quickly as I want.  I’m trying though.  Don’t forget that if you sign-up for my newsletter that you also get a password to the resource library for subscribers only.  There’s not a lot there, but I do try to reward my followers.

Everyone, please stay safe and healthy.  Remember your social distancing.  And please, contact me if you have any questions or concerns about my resources or these updated terms.

 

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Things to Do While Everyone is Home 2

kids playing in room with books and computer

This is a continuation of my original post, Things to Do While Everyone is Home.  You can click here to see that post.  This new post are all the links that have been shared to other blog posts, Facebook posts, and so on to help teachers and parents during this time where everyone is home due to Spring Break and/or the coronovirus. 

boy and girl kids running 

Here’s the Entire List of Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions Due to School Closings from Kids Activities:  “With school’s closing across the nation, parents and educators are in bit of a panic as they try to figure out how kids can learn and obtain their education from home. If this sounds like you, stop stressing. This is going to be super helpful!”

Guidelines to Running Online Instruction:  Compilations by Steve Sherman – livingmaths.com

Blog Posts from Fellow Teachers and Educators

Moving Kindergarten to Online Learning During the Coronovirus Pandemic from The Blue Brain Teacher

Using Google Classroom to Survive E-Learning Days from The Teaching Bank

10+ Social Emotional Activities for Home from Pathway 2 Success

Teaching During a Pandemic from Endeavors in Education

School Closing?  Read On… from Sweet Sensations

Learning from Home You Can Create Right Now from LMNO Pond

Continuing Learning Activities from Sharing Kindergarten

The Home – School Connection / Boosting Academics at Home from Peas in a Pod

Distance / Home Learning Packets and Strategies for Special Education from Breezy Special Ed

How to Transition to E-Learning with Success:  Tips and Tools from Adventures in ISTEM and Beyond

At Home Learning During the Coronavirus School Closures from Shelley Gray

Helping Your Child Learn at Home from An Apple for the Teacher

Home Learning for K-4 from Second Story Window

Keep Them Healthy and Learning from Elementary Matters

Elementary Spanish Resources for Home Learning from Fun for Spanish Teachers

Covid-19 and School Closures from Markers & Minions

Help!  How Should I Teach My Child to Read? and What You Need to Know to Make it Through School Closures from Paula’s Primary Classroom

Educational Websites and Resources to Use at Home from Sailing Into Second with Aris Rossi

Preparing for At Home Student Learning from Teaching in Room 6

School Closure:  30 Simple No-Tech Activities for Surviving from Teaching Products

Tips for Teaching with Remote Learning from Students of History

Digital Resources for Distance Learning in the ELA Classroom from Samantha in Secondary

Remote Learning in Kindergarten from Della Larsen’s Class

80+ At Home and Online Learning Ideas from Teach Beside Me

Simple Ideas and Help for Emergency Spanish Sub Lesson Plans and The Parent Guide to Summer Spanish Learning from Spanish Mama

20 Best Distance Learning Tools and Resources from Crazy Charizma

Distance Learning:  Keep Your Students Learning Even When School is Closed from Minds in Bloom

5 Online Learning Tips for Teachers from Vestal’s 21st Century Classroom

Virtual Learning in the ELA Classroom from Ideas by Jivey

Preparing Out Teacher for Online Learning by Sweet Integrations

Free Distance Learning Digital Resources for Upper Elementary from Alyssa Teaches

Free Digital and Print Resources to Send Home to Parents from KTP Classroom

Tips for Parents – Talking to Kids About Coronavirus and Easy Science Experiments at Home and Over 20 Free STEM Activity Printables for the Classroom from STEAM Powered Family

Corona Virus Distance Learning & Virtual Teaching Tips from Bow Tie Guy & Wife

Stuck Indoors?  Ideas to Keep Boredom Away from Red Ted Art on YouTube

Facebook Posts from Fellow Teachers and Educators

Teach Outside the Box post with free resource

Sailing Into Second post for distance learning

Raising Math Superstars in-depth post

My Special Learners post with links

Second Story Window post with grade level links

Seuss-tastic with Mel D post to link distance learning ideas

Happy Edugator post for free Poetry Book Project

Free Resources from Fellow Teachers and Educators

8 Free Elementary Science Activities for Educators and Families from The Science Penguin

Free Resources for Students to Practice at Home from Autism Classroom Resources

Covid-19 Social Story Free! from Noodle Nook

Free Print-and-Go Science Lesson from Teacher’s Workstation

Build a 3D Town Free Resource from TeachEzy

Free Math Activities to Build Number Sense in Your Students from You’ve Got This Math

3 Free Weeks of Take-Home Literacy Work from Out of This World Literacy

Homeschool Bloggers

Learning Through Experience – 

The Kitchen Table Classroom – 

Simple Living Creative Learning – 

The Emergency List of Online Educational Games & Apps from Raising Royalty 

Mama Teaches – 

Hess Un-Academy – 

Just a Simple Home – 

Meaningful Explorations – 

Free Things to do with Your Kids During a Coronavaction from This (Un)Exceptional Life

Homeschooling Hard Things Series from Intentional in Life

Suddenly “Homeschooling” Due to Coronavirus? from Woven Homeschool

Little Learning Moments – 

The Barefoot Mom – 

Top Ten Reasons We Love Outschool from Online School Mom

Kristen Moon Science – 

Coronacation Education Kit for Parents – Easy Ways to Teach at Home from Vegas Kids Zone

Tulip Tree Tales – 

Iowa Homeschool Mom – 

Craft Templates & Other Printables from Keeping Live Creative

Board Games for Learning – 

Homeschooling & the COVID-19 Effect and Free Homeschool Materials from The Homeschool House

Great Big List of Educational Websites for Homeschool from Geez, Gwen!

How to Homeschool for Free During a School Closure from Oaxacaborn

Suddenly Schooling at Home from Live to Learn, Love to Learn

Roundups and Link-Ups from Fellow Teachers and Educators

Supports for At Home Learning:  Grades 2-5 from Shelley Gray

Free Schooling Resources from Motherhood Maine’s Pinterest board

 

**I have NOT personally visited or used all of these sites.  It is up to each individual if to deem them appropriate for their kids or students.  Some offers may have limitations based on location or other rules and regulations.**

 

I hope that these links are helpful to you and your kids or students.  If you know of any that I could add, I’d be happy to do that.  Just leave a comment and I’ll add it ASAP. 

 

 

 

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Things to Do While Everyone is Home

kids playing in room with books and computer

Are you off of work right now?  Are the kids out of school?

boy and girl kids running  

It’s Spring Break all over the US.  Many businesses and schools are closed because of the COVID-19 that is a pandemic worldwide.  We all need things to do to keep us busy.  The kids need activities to do and to continue their education.  Here’s a list of things that grown-ups and children can do to combat the boredom. 

Things To Do – Sites to Visit 

12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours:  “Experience the best museums from London to Seoul in the comfort of your own home.”

Minecraft – Education Edition:  “Minecraft: Education Edition is an open-world game that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive environment where the only limit is your imagination.”

Google Arts & Culture:  “Google Arts & Culture features content from over 1200 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world’s treasures online.”

Mystery Science:  “To help educators during this time of coronavirus, we have pulled our most popular science lessons and are offering them for anyone to use for free. No account or login is needed. Copy and paste the links below into your documents and use them however they might be helpful! Mystery Science is the creator of the most popular science lessons in U.S. schools. We’ve curated this starter set of science lessons that you can use remotely or share with parents.”

Free Books with Amazon Prime:  “Prime Reading and Amazon First Reads are benefits perfect for bibiophiles — and they’re included with Prime.”

50 Fun Things to do with Your Kids at Home:  “We have revised our ever-so-popular list of Top 50 things to do for a snow day and adapted it to being home all day with your cherubs.”

Raddish Kids:  “At Raddish, we believe the heart of the home is in the kitchen.  And our team of parents, chefs, and educators know the kitchen is the perfect place to cultivate academic skills outside the traditional classroom — including math, science, geography, language arts, and more.  We’ve created this page as a free resource to support families likes yours, because food is love!  It comforts and connects us all!”

The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids:  “A children’s version of the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Contains facts about weather, star gazing, history and more.”

Smithsonian Learning Lab:  “Support deep, meaningful learning with an online universe of authentic resources and tools for making them your own.”

SmartMusic:  “SmartMusic is a web-based suite of music education tools that support efficient practice, helping musicians to develop and grow.”

National Geographic Education – Resource Library:  “At National Geographic, we teach kids about the world and how it works, empowering them to succeed and to make it a better place.”

Scholastic Learn at Home:  “Even when schools are closed, you can keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys. Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own, with their families, or with their teachers. Just find your grade level and let the learning begin!”

Great Minds:  “Three-quarters of our more than 800 employees are or have been teachers, so we understand the pressure teachers are under at this time to keep students on track. We are here to support them with free resources including our Eureka Math/EngageNY Math curriculum that is a free, open education resource available to anyone, anywhere.  And starting Wednesday, March 18, we are going to share—free to anyone—recorded daily lessons in Grades K–12 of Eureka Math, K–8 of Wit & Wisdom, and 3–5 of PhD Science. These lessons will be delivered by our own teachers and will be viewable on any device so that teachers and their students may use them.”

Coding For Kids: Free Classes, Websites, and Apps:  “It’s easy to imagine a kid learning coding being stuck in front of a computer for the rest of their lives. However, that doesn’t have to be the case! In fact, coding experience can open up many opportunities and make your child more marketable when they start applying for awards, scholarships, and even jobs! In the digital age, there are plenty of ways for kids to learn coding, free.”

DC Environmental Film Fest Goes ‘Virtual’ Amid Coronavirus Fears:  “The 28th annual D.C. Environmental Film Festival will hold a “virtual” festival next week after canceling all public events slated for March 12-22 due to coronavirus concerns.”

Over 30 Virtual Field Trips with Links:  Click on the colored text for links.  Safe travels!

The Metropolitan Opera Will Stream Operas for Free in Wake of Coronavirus:  “Have you always thought that you could get really into opera if it were more easily accessible? Well, thanks to the coronavirus, now is your chance. OperaWire has reported that the Metropolitan Opera will host “Nightly Met Opera Streams” on its official website in an attempt to continue providing opera to its audience members.”

Download Free Coloring Books from 113 Museums:  “Thy wish is our command, but be prepared to hustle, because today is the final day of Color Our Collections, a compellingly democratic initiative on the part of the New York Academy of Medicine.  Since 2016, the Academy has made an annual practice of inviting other libraries, archives, and cultural institutions around the world to upload PDF coloring pages based on their collections for the public’s free download.”

Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems:  “Mo Willems invites YOU into his studio every day for his LUNCH DOODLE. Learners worldwide can draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing by visiting Mo’s studio virtually once a day for the next few weeks. Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together.”

Met to Launch “Nightly Met Opera Streams”:  “A day after canceling upcoming performances due to concerns around the coronavirus, the Metropolitan Opera announced that it would stream encore presentations from the award-winning Live in HD series of cinema transmissions on the company website for the duration of the closure.”

10 Virtual Field Trips for Your Kids:  “While we may not be able to venture out with the kids for a bit why not check out one of these virtual field trips and explore with them!”

22 Ways to Leave Home Without Actually Leaving the Couch, from Virtual Zoo Exhibits to Museum Gallery Tours:  “Here’s how to enjoy an afternoon at the museum, the zoo, or theme park all without leaving your couch.”

Virtual Storytimes for Kids – Authors and Venues Go Online Amid Coronavirus:  “Just because you’re staying in doesn’t mean an end to storytime! From the Brooklyn Public Library taking its readings to Facebook, to live demonstrations by famous picture-book authors, to a large selection of many of the greatest actors of our time reading some of the best books for kids, you can have an amazing storytime for kids right at home.”

100 Activities to do at Home During School Closures:  “I have created a helpful guide for all of you to survive the upcoming school closures.  Many of these activities listed below will require some supplies. Most items you could find at the Dollar Store.”

Art at Home:  “Ready to stay creative from the couch? Here is your guide to enjoying art at home!”

Help and Information for Kids

The Ultimate Kids’ Guide to the New Coronavirus:  “A new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 is spreading across the globe. Kids like you are likely wondering, “Will school be closed?” and, “Should I be worried about getting sick?” To help guide you through a confusing situation, here are answers from science to all the questions you may have.”

Talking to Kids about the Coronavirus:  “News of the coronavirus COVID-19 is everywhere, from the front page of all the papers to the playground at school. Many parents are wondering how to bring up the epidemic in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more worried than they already may be. Here is some advice from the experts at the Child Mind Institute.”

How to Talk to Kids about Coronavirus:  “So what should you tell kids about the coronavirus, and how? We spoke to a pediatrician, two psychologists, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and a safety expert for their best tips.”

Children’s Book – Hello!  I am the Coronavirus:  “I have built this short book for children between 2 and 7 years old with the purpose of anticipating and accompanying the emotional world of children against the COVID-19 virus. This resource does not seek to be a source of scientific information but rather a tool based on fantasy and the symbolic. I recommend printing it so that the children can draw their emotion and they can have it at home to read it repeatedly. Remember that emotions are processed through repetitive play and stories read multiple times.”

Christian – Religion – Catholic

Sadlier:  For teachers and student/family resources.  Sadlier Religion Resources is access to valuable resources for the programs you are using.

The Catholic Toolbox:  “Tools” for the Classroom or at Home – activities, crafts, games, puzzles, worksheets, lesson plans, classroom tips, etc. for all ages.

Loyola Press:  “For over 100 years, our mission has been to lead people to Jesus and to facilitate transformative experiences of God so that people of all ages can lead holy and purposeful lives with and for others. We accomplish our goals with inspiration from Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), a man who spent his whole post-conversion life providing catechesis and engaging others in spiritual conversation. In addition to our spirituality and faith formation offerings, we are pleased to serve the Kindergarten through Grade 8 literacy community with our highly regarded English Language Arts programs.”  “Christ Our Life for over 40 years, the Christ Our Life religious education program has been leading children to Jesus Christ in schools and religious education programs in every diocese in the United States. A favorite among faith formation program directors, teachers, and catechists, Christ Our Life features the original spiral curriculum — a teaching process that ensures consistent progress toward an accurate and thorough understanding of the faith.”

Ignatius Press:  “Ignatius Press is an apostolate, a ministry of Guadalupe Associates, a church-based group of people who use their talents “for the greater glory of God”. Guadalupe Associates/Ignatius Press’s  mission is to collaborate in the evangelizing, catechetical, liturgical, and educational work of the Catholic Church, through the publication and distribution of Catholic print, video, and audio materials, especially books and films, as well as through the internet and social media. Guadalupe Associates/Ignatius Press helps deepen people’s spiritual lives in a number of ways, including by means of its retreat house and through the publication of liturgical and spiritual resources such as the Adoremus Hymnal, the Mass of Vatican II booklet, and the Ignatius Pew Missal for churches. These and other works reflect the liturgical and spiritual vision of Guadalupe Associates, Inc, which is nourished by the communal daily prayer and worship of many of its workers.”  Faith and Life religious education series was written for both school and parish use and is now in its Third Edition with separate manuals for the teacher in a daily classroom setting and the catechist in a once a week classroom setting.

Formed:  “The Catholic Faith.  On demand.  Get thousands of movies, programs, audio, and books instantly.”

Eric Gallagher:  “Ways to Teach, Meet, and Minister Online” Having worked for the church in a rural area for the past ten years and while striving to share and teach what I’ve learned to others across the country, I’ve discovered some incredible resources to help gather, teach, and grow online.  Given the current circumstances throughout the world, I thought I would share with you my list of resources that I’ve found to be most helpful in doing so.

YDisciple:  “Your subscription to YDisciple gives you (and your whole team!) access to our online streaming platform with offline playback plus iOS, Android, and Roku apps.”

Magnificat:  “During this challenging time, many of the faithful may be unable to attend Mass.  Magnificat is honored to provide complimentary access to our online version to help people pray from home.”

Religious Education – Online Resources:  “The following free resources are from faithful Catholic ministries and have numerous videos and other media available for ongoing catechesis and sacrament preparation. St. Joseph’s hopes these will aid parishioners during the suspension of parish catechesis.”

Help and Information for Teachers and Parents Working with Kids

Google for Education:  “To help with this, we recently announced that advanced Hangouts Meet features are available for free to anyone who uses G Suite around the world. This means you’ll be able to put up to 250 people on a Hangouts Meet call—an entire class or group of classes can join a lesson simultaneously. You’ll get live-streaming for up to 100,000 viewers within your domain, so that you can do a virtual school assembly or stream a lecture. Plus, you can record meetings and save them to Google Drive. When students can’t join the lesson, they’ll be able to access the content later.”  

Comprehensive Response to the Worldwide Coronavirus Outbreak:  “As a global company serving 4.5 million educators and 45 million students in 140 countries and territories around the world, Discovery Education has been monitoring the recent Coronavirus outbreak closely. Like educators everywhere, we are concerned about the Coronavirus’ potential impact on student learning in the unfortunate event schools or school systems are closed for extended periods of time.  So, to help schools and the communities they serve maintain continuity of learning in the event of prolonged school closures due to the Coronavirus, Discovery Education has created a three-pronged response.”

Boardmaker Activities-to-Go:  “Meet Boardmaker Activities-to-Go! Free, printable activities for students in K-12. Whether you are an educator, speech language pathologist, behavior specialist, or parent, start teaching today.”

How to Utilise Twinkl during the Coronavirus Shutdown – A Guide for Schools:  “At Twinkl, our mission is to help those who teach and we are therefore taking steps to support continued learning at home, by offering the teachers and parents of children in schools which are closed, or facing closure, free access to all Twinkl resources for a period of one month in the first instance.”

Remote Learning with Khan Academy During School Closures:  “With concerns growing over the coronavirus (COVID-19), we know many of you are making plans to keep learning going should your school need to close. As parents and teachers ourselves, we know there’s a lot on your minds, from health and safety to child care and jobs.”

PenPal Schools:  “PenPal Schools connects students from 150 countries through project based learning.”  Offering FREE access during the Corvid-19 pandemic.

The Parents’ Guide to Google Classroom:  A helpful guide for teachers to share with their parents as classrooms move toward online learning.  Excellent!

Zoom’s Commitment to User Support & Business Continuity During the Coronavirus Outbreak:  “The growing epidemic has broadened my view on what it means to be a video communications technology provider in times of need. I know many organizations are grappling with how to maintain business continuity and keep employees engaged amid the threat of the virus, and I’m compelled to help anyone who needs it.”

Kahoot!:  “We believe that there should be no limits to when and where you can learn. Engage students in learning even when they’re not in class and stay on track with curriculum while instructing online.”  If your school is affected by Corvid-19, you can access Kahoot! Premium’s distance learning tools for free.

Genially:  “As you unfortunately know, the current situation is forcing schools to close, and altering our daily work in many parts of the world. From Genially we take a step forward to make life a little easier for people who have been forced to stop.  For this reason, we launched a series of initiatives that aim to facilitate and promote, as far as possible, distance learning / working. This method is a crucial way to keep up with the pace of school, academy, university or office in these week.  At Genially we have a single goal: to offer resources and content to those affected students, trainers and professionals. For this reason, we launch a series of own actions in addition to joining all the movements initiated by other digital platforms in the sector.”

Kids Discover Online:  “Request free, unlimited access to Kids Discover Online if your school/district has been closed due to the Coronavirus.”

Emergencies and Switching to Online Learning:  “At core is the question, if the government in your state, province, or area ordered all schools to close, what would you do? How is this emergency something you can prepare for?”

Boom Cards by Boom Learning:  “If your school is considering closing for COVID19 reasons or has closed and you are not a current Boom Learning premium customer, we are offering free Ultimate subscriptions good through June 30 to affected schools.  Existing customer schools who do not have Ultimate subscriptions can get an Ultimate account per grade or subject team to share for authoring materials to share out school colleagues to keep learning on course.”  Reach out to help@boomlearning.com if you are an affected school.

EdHeads:  “Edheads is an online educational resource that provides science and math games and activities that promote critical thinking. Choose from Simple Machines, Virtual Knee Surgery or Stem Cell Heart Repair, among others. All activities meet state and national standards.”  Edheads Virally Free Membership for use March 13 through April 4, 2020 ONLY.  Each registrant will have one log in they create and can use for unlimited play for the dates mentioned above.  This membership will go away after April 6 and will have to be converted to a paying membership if the member chooses to continue to use Edheads games.

How to Homeschool for Free During a School Closure:  “Is your child’s school closed for two weeks — or more? Do you want to continue your child’s education at home while classes are cancelled?  Maybe you are facing the challenge of online learning, e-learning, or virtual school, thanks to COVID-19, or maybe you’ve decided to homeschool temporarily until the crisis is over. If you’re intimidated by the idea of trying to find things for your kids to do while stuck at home, the lesson plans, free curriculum, and activity ideas in this post will help you have a fun, educational, and memorable time with your kids.”

Helping You Plan and Continue Instruction During the COVID-19 Crisis:  “Start by initiating your complimentary access to Newsela ELA, Newsela Social Studies, Newsela Science, and The Newsela SEL Collection through the 2019/2020 school year.”

Smart Tech:  “Inspiring greatness and improving education outcomes through innovative tech and training that supports engagement and connection.”

How Schools Can Ramp up Remote Learning Programs Quickly with Microsoft Teams:  “As some schools look to continue learning remotely for the safety of their students and faculty, Microsoft Teams for Education provides an online classroom so students and teachers can find new ways to continue to focus on learning. Free for schools and universities, Teams provides an online classroom that brings together virtual face-to-face connections, assignments, files and conversations into a single place accessible on either mobile, tablet, PC or browser.”

Free BrainPOP Access for Schools Closed Due to the Coronavirus:  “Recognizing the enormous impact this situation has on a school community, we are offering free, unlimited use of BrainPOP to any school, anywhere, that is closed due to the coronavirus during the period of their closure.”

Parenting During Covid-19:  “Articles about how to parent right now — how to talk to our kids and help calm their fears — abound. I’ve read many. Contributed to some. And now I’m writing my own. Why? Because what I haven’t seen yet is a bulleted list, a set of short and sweet and pragmatic tips you could print out and hang on your fridge as a reference. And so that’s going to be my contribution.”

How to Talk to Your Kids about Coronavirus:  “So before lights out, we talked. I asked what they had heard about the coronavirus. We got it all out — their questions, their “I heards” and their fears. The rest of the conversation had three themes.”

Teaching Our World – The Coronavirus:  “We have heard that many of your students are worried about the new coronavirus. We’ve created this collection to help you ease their fears and empower them with age-appropriate information. These teaching resources were carefully prepared by grade-level to help your students understand what is being done to keep them safe and how to prevent germs from spreading.”

Helping Kids Who are Worried about Coronavirus:  “Many of our kids have been hearing about COVID-19 for weeks at school, from friends, on the news, and at home, and while they might not know how to appropriately express their feelings about the situation, they might be holding on to some pretty strong worries. While some schools are closing, kids are out of their comfortable routines, which can contribute to those worries.”  Infographic on her IG to help.

TeacherVision:  “In response to these unprecedented challenges, we are making all of the resources on TeacherVision freely available to teachers and parents until March 31, 2020 so they have access to everything needed to support students’ learning at home.”

NYC Department of Education – Learn at Home:  “The materials on the Learn at Home pages are designed to provide supplementary learning resources to students in the event that students may need to be home from school. We encourage you to use this time to continue your student’s learning while they are at home. To help students engage in educational material, we have shared the resources below for students in all grades, from Early Learn through elementary and middle school, and for high school. These materials do not replace what your child has been learning at school, but during this unusual time it is important that students continue to read, write, do social studies and science activities, and work on math problems.”

Schoology:  “Our Basic package is for instructors, students, parents, and advisors who want to improve learning at the classroom level. It’s free and easy to sign up.”

Feckle:  “Freckle empowers teachers to differentiate instruction across Math, ELA, Social Studies and Science.”  A free sign-up for teachers and students.

Miscellaneous

Cox Announces Plans to Support Residential Customers in Need During Coronavirus Pandemic:  “Cox announced today additional plans to support residential customers during the coronavirus pandemic. Cox is upgrading internet speeds for select residential packages and implementing a variety of other changes to provide support and relief for our customers and communities in greatest need.”

Spectrum Offering Free Access to Broadband and Wi-Fi for Students Without Access for 60 Days:  “Charter Communication announced Friday morning it will offer free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a subscription.”

Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO):   Facebook post – PSO is temporarily suspending all disconnections for non-payment as the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been documented in our state.

 

**I have NOT personally visited or used all of these sites.  It is up to each individual if to deem them appropriate for their kids or students.  Some offers may have limitations based on location or other rules and regulations.**

 

I hope that these links are helpful to you and your kids or students.  If you know of any that I could add, I’d be happy to do that.  Just leave a comment and I’ll add it ASAP. 

Edit to add….

This post got too long to be of use to readers.  I’ve split it up from my original post and all the other links that I’ve added from other bloggers, Facebook, and so on.  You can click here to be taken to Things to Do While Everyone is Home 2.

 

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Help Australia

Australia with kangaroo cartoon

Hello all and a very Happy 2020 to you all!  It has already been a busy new year for me….and I’m sure for many of you as well.  

I want to start by talking about the bushfires in Australia.  As you probably know, much of the land has been burned and many animals have been lost, not to mention the loss of life and homes.  I want to do something to help the people of Australia.

AusTeacherBFR sale banner for Australia charity

For the month of January, for my resources with #austeacherBFR, the sales will be donated to Australia.  The charity that I’ve chosen is Vinnies Bushfire Appeal.  You can read more about them if you click here.  I currently only have 2 resources as part of this fundraiser, but plan to add 1 more, if not 2 more.  Again, all sales with #austeacherBFR will be donated to charity.  If you’re not interested on those materials, I’d be happy to swap another resource that you do want to purchase and donate the sale from that.  You can also search that hashtag on TpT to find all the resources that other teachers have for sale and are using to donate to their chosen Australian charity.

Thank you for considering helping me support this charity to help the people of Australia!

I hope that you all have a wonderful new year and are blessed!

 

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Cyber Monday and More!

The year is rolling right along!  Thanksgiving has passed along with Black Friday, so now it’s time for Cyber Monday.  I’m having a sale for Cyber Monday, but it’s more than just Monday!  My Cyber Sale will be Sunday to Wednesday, so there’s plenty of time to shop.

The entire store for The Treasured Schoolhouse will be on sale for 20% off 1 to 4 December!  In addition, at TpT, you’ll be able to get an extra 5% off for a total of up to 25% off with code CYBER19.  That code is only good 2-3 (Monday and Tuesday).

Cyber Sale on corrugated cardboard and linen background - 20% off

I’ll also have The Treasured Schoolhouse on sale at my other marketplaces as well for 20% off!  Please click below to be taken to The Treasured Schoolhouse that you want to visit and shop….

TeachersPayTeachers

Made by Teachers

Teacher’s Dojo

Amazon Ignite

As usual, I’ll try to add at least one new resource during the sale.  It has been extremely crazy, so I’m not sure I’m actually going to get it completed, but I’ll try with all my powers!

Happy Shopping and Happy Cyber Sale!

 

Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links.  Please see my full disclosure policy here.

 

 

 

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