 The end of the school year is rapidly approaching and we are already making our must do bucket list for the summer, But… There are 8 things you can do before you close the doors behind you, that will allow you to rest and enjoy your summer and come back to school refreshed and ready to go. Are you ready to hear about that list? Here are my 8 “Must-Do” tips for the end of the school year.  Reflect Once assessments are finished I like to find a peaceful place to reflect on all the successes and all the flops that occurred throughout the year. I begin by just writing about all the thing that I loved about the school year and all those funny moments that make you love to do what you do. Next I make two different list procedures and routines, I make note of which ones worked and ones that need to be reworked or put in the don’t do again pile. The last list I make is what the children were interested in over the last year. This process helps me develop a meaningful plan for the follow year.  Yearlong Planning Use the reflect notes to help guide you through the yearlong planning process. Start with your list of procedures that you want to teach, then move onto lessons based on children’s interest. If your district already has the new calendar for when things are due like assessments, progress reports and parent teacher conferences put those dates in your planning calendar to help you with the planning process. There is no better feeling than walking out on the last day knowing that you already have a road map for the new year.  Communication Folders Communication folders throughout the year can sometime be a little overwhelming, but if you prepare them before the end of the year it will take some of that pressure off. Make copies of your first few weeks of communications folders. Fill each folder with the first week of communications, then all you will need to do when you return is add your student’s names to each folder. Send home your communication folders one last time with summer activity calendars.  Assessment Binder Assessments begin the minute children walk through the doors. Be prepared by having your assessment binder ready to go. I like to set up my assessment binder with sheet protectors and small group tabs. Now all I will need to do is add names and away I go.  Portfolios As part of the assessment process collecting sample work is the best practice. If you have ever collected work samples before you know that they can start piling up fast. Begging prepared right from the start at the beginning of the year will help you keep those piles at a minimum. As your bulletin boards come down and the last of the sample work goes into the children’s portfolios to take home at the end of the school year. Restock your portfolio supplies at the end of the year and prepare your new portfolios for the new year.  Parent Orientation Packets Parent orientation on or before the first day of school, so why wait tell then to prepare your packets. Have them ready to go before you even leave. That will be one less thing that you will need to worry about over summer break.  Copies Make one last trip to the copy machine, you will be glad you did. If you are hesitant to make those copies now remember what the line of teachers at copy machine looks like during the back to school rush. Here is a list of what you can copy to make back to school a breeze. Assessment Data Sheets August Communication Folders Summer Activity Calendars Parent Orientation Packets August and September Draw Person By doing this one simple task before school ends, you will shave off hours during your classroom set up.  Supply List One last thing before you close your doors and walk off into the sunset. Make an inventory list of all the classroom supplies that you already have, this way when the back to school sale happen you know exactly what you need. The best thing about doing this is that you will be able to close the door on your supply cabinet next year. When doing these 8-simple ends of the year tips you will be less stressed at the beginning of the new school year. You will walk out the door for summer break ready to relax and enjoy some much need time off. 
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This unit is one of my original TpT products that I have always loved using in my classroom But… It needed a makeover in time for us to use this summer.           What's in the Garden?
 If you have been following me for a while then you know that I like to give our moms a special day for Mother’s Day and I like for my little learners to help plan and make things for that day. In this post, I would like to give three ideas to help you with planning your own special day for all your special moms. Muffins for Moms My go to is usually Muffins for Moms which I have always enjoyed doing with the children and they have enjoyed planning it for their moms. The first thing we like to do is make our moms an invitation for their special day.
Next, we like to reread the book If You Give a Mouse a Muffin, which is always one of the class favorites.  After reading the book we have a group discussion about the different kinds of muffins we could make for our moms.   Then we work together to make the muffins for our moms  We make baskets for the muffins.  
 A Mothers day celebration that moms will remember for years to come. This card/invitation will represent their child and will also include a writing activity about their mom. You will get card template and writing activity along with detailed step by step instructions and photo tutorial. Decorations for the event are included for that special lady in every child's life. Teachers Pay Teachers The Mommy Spa Katie from Little Warriors wanted to give her Mommies and students a day that they would remember forever. That's when she designed the Mommy Spa Day.
You can find Katie’s The Mommy Spa and Mommy Spa Craft in her Teachers Pay Teachers Store. Mother's Day Tea Party Maria from Kinder Craze creates a Mother’s Day Tea Party to make her students day special with their Mommies.  I hope these ideas will help you create a special day for your preschool students and their Mommies, that they will not forget. Leave a comment and let us know how you make Mother’s Day special for your students. 
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Welcome!I'm Tami Sanders creator of Learning and Teaching with Preschoolers, a blog to help teachers create magical moments for the young. Follow Me
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