Concentric Circle Weavings in Elementary School

Goofy girl. This wasn't supposed to go live tonight. Enjoy the pretty pictures. 

-- Debbie -- 

End of Year Poems + Festivities

End of Year Poems and Festivities
Where are you in the countdown? Already celebrating summer or still with a few heartbeats to go? I'm making my annual rounds of 'end-of-the-year' Author-Illustrator school visits and I have some new images to share. 

The poem above came home in the summer bags for the WonderPeeps. Miss Janet and Miss Dee had personalized the confection of words with just the right sentiment. It's so hard to imagine that we are officially saying good-bye to the preschool era for the WPs! They're off to kindergarten in the fall. Oh.My.Word!

Now let me share some kinder-ideas from my annual two days of fun at Darby Creek Elementary. This 'piggy-back' song was on Mrs. Gilmore's flip-chart. Long term readers here know how I LUV handwritten anchor charts. Here's the first verse. Sing the verse to the tune of "Love and Marriage." (That was used most recently as the theme song of the ol' TV show 'Married with Children.')

*I don't know who to credit for this clever piggyback song. If you do, please let me know and I'll edit. We checked Mrs. G's copy and there was no author attribution. The very talented 'unknown' will suffice for now. Sorry.

Seeing both of these two examples of End-of-Year celebrations to conclude last week, put me in a pensive mood and the desire to write my own little tribute. I decided that I wanted it to be generic enough to be useful for all of my friends -- whether it be PreK or Kinders -- maybe even my 'big kids' as they transition out one door and into the next. 

*Once I'd written the poem, I typed it line by line at Picmonkey, so that I could adjust for color. That's how I added the little flowers.  We are going to keep it in a pdf format over at our collaborative cyber-store as a FREEBIE. Pop over to our 

EARLY EDUCATION EMPORIUM
to get your free copy. My poem is a standard 8.5 x 11 inch format. Just go grab the pdf and print to your heart's content.  
(*I think that I've done this correctly from the golf driving range. I will double check after this afternoon's matinee and adjust accordingly.)

Now for a kindergarten graduation bulletin board standing just outside Mrs. Sherwood's classroom door. You've maybe seen something similar on Pinterest. 
She took black and white photos of her kiddos holding the announcement of their intended profession. 

This may be your first visit here and if so, welcome. I am a singer-songwriter of original songs for children. I make my way around the country visiting classrooms sharing my original songs and their picture book format. 

My song, "You're Wonderful" is the ultimate 'graduation' song of affirmation and guaranteed to bring on genuine tears for this meaningful time of transition. 

"You're Wonderful" Digital Download 

Here's the link to YouTube watch it being performed by a combination of preschool children and ECE college students at a family gathering. 

Honest-to-goodness. If you taught my song tomorrow, it could be 'ready-for-performance' by the next day. It's that simple. Your kiddos REALLY will sing it. The sign language will guarente video footage will be shot. 

I am now receiving feedback that some schools are using my "Red, White and Blue" for their end of the year concerts and performances. I am doubly blessed! It would be truly PERFECT for your Memorial Day festivities. It too is a picture book, but the song and sign language chart are also available in digital download format. 

I had a similar RoundUP last year. You'll probably want to go back to this earlier article to see a host of other ideas -- including a couple of additional bulletin board ideas specific to EOY festivities. There's a TON of handprint happiness in the first article! 



As always, your pin(s) from my articles are the very best marketing I have -- besides your word of mouth enthusiasm. I am so grateful when you share my work with others. Pinterest is my number one source of traffic here and is now resulting in my visits to schools! Thanks so much for your pins! 

-- Debbie -- 

I'm now at 120,989 followers!     

Click this link to go there directly! 

Now at 319 followers!

Linked this article over at Kindergarten Works

A Flutter of "Angry Bird" Artwork

ANGRY BIRD 'SCULPTURE' 

There's often a gap between a school's curriculum and the day-to-day interests of their students. Walking into the main hallway of College Wood Elementary in Carmel, IN last week for my author-illustrator school visit, I couldn't help smile ear-to-ear. BINGO! These students each had a ball making their own 'angry bird.' 

What a super fun (low-cost + simple materials) project that involved a gigantic number of students. I can just imagine the hubbub of excitement over engaging kiddos right where they 'live.' Look at these personalities. 

Each entry into the platoon of birds-on-a-wire is totally unique! 

Details galore. 

Sculptural. 

Geometric. 

Need an end-of-the-year, one day "project" to help conclude the year? 

Look no further! 

I'll never forget when I was an elementary Art teacher and created a bulletin board featuring the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.' I was da coolest! Every student in the building was delirious that I could 'relate' to them.

It's good to demonstrate that you can relate.  

-- Debbie -- 

Patriotic Response for Memorial Day: Book GIVEAWAY

CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK -- GIVEAWAY EXTRA AMAZING!

One of the most amazing things about being an author-illustrator of picture books -- is the opportunity to make school visits. One of the most incredible things about school visits is seeing 'student response' to your own work. This past week was superlative in every way! I had 3 on-site school visits in two different states, my first SKYPE author visit -- to the Virgin Islands no less(!) plus an end of the year family concert. Oh happy day! 

This student artwork was created in the second grade classroom of Hilary Lewis, author of the blog "Rockin' Teacher Materials." Her students are responding to my newest picture book, "Red, White and Blue." I created my illustrations from fabric as small quilts. Seeing their classroom collaboration displayed as a quilt was a professional highlight to be sure. 

These three students are holding the pieced quilt I created for the endpapers of my book. Their construction paper response is truly incredible and seeing the two together in the same picture makes my heart sing! Appreciate the graphic response in their squares. AWESOME!

Meeting my blogging friends in person and spending time 'on location' in their schools is such an honor. To see how they direct their students is both mesmerizing and humbling. To see the finished work that 2nd graders are capable of -- makes me want to learn to do cartwheels. This effort is certainly deserving of cartwheels! I'm shaking my PomPoms for certain! 

The text of my picture book is based on the lyrics of my song by the same name. There is a CD insert included to help with the transition between singing the song and reading the song. I wrote the song immediately in the aftermath of September 11th. In that week I wanted to offer hope. The picture book coming to fruition is the story of perseverance -- my own perseverance in the face of not one but two diagnosis of cancer and its treatment, while in the midst of designing and constructing the sixteen quilts required for a 32 page book. 

So you can imagine how moving it is for me to have the opportunity to see the student work -- with my very own eyes! Patriotism. Hope. Perseverance. Legacy. They are all quilted together into this project. 

My book and song are increasingly being used for honoring our service people, for both Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. Having children join together in a performance of the song is a great way to introduce a sense of patriotism in our youngest. It makes a great group performance and memorable for all. 

As you plan your end-of-the-year festivities, this project would make a perfect contribution. I hope that this student quilt on their classroom bulletin board inspires you, as you direct your own students. 

I now also have this song in a zipped file which includes two Mp3s -- one for the sung version and one for the instrumental. There is also a chart for the sign language to support the song's performance. It is available at our "Early Education Emporium" as well as "Teachers Pay Teachers." 

My blog is the storehouse for the response of MANY children to my work. 

Here are some other favorites! 

Carie-the-Kindergarten Teacher of Kindergarten Hugs directed this colossal quilt a couple years back. Her students created the construction paper elements by marble painting. This Herculean effort is chronicled in this tag of articles here.

I just visited her school in Dixon, IL a couple weeks ago and one of the teachers in her building directed this quilt in honor of my arrival. 

These are students of the infamous Denise of Sunny Days fame and their response. I had the opportunity to visit their sunny Florida school and get hugs in person! 

The work above and below was created for my annual end-of-the-year visit to St. Paul Catholic school in Westerville, OH. I will return to them in a couple of weeks. Can't wait to see what they're up to this time! 

Small Miracles Preschool, Chicago-land, IL 

Preschool Quilt, JCC in NYC! 

Patriotic Student Weavings, WI 

These Patriotic Hearts were on hand for my Texas-style welcome by Barbara's students of "Corner on Character" blogging fame. 

The collage of work above and the student book below were created in Hilliard OH in honor of my arrival in their midst during their "Project Based Learning" over weeks of time surrounding Veteran's Day last fall. You simply must take a look at their efforts in the earlier article. 

On September 11th of this school year I was with the students of Southern Door County in WI. These simple collages were constructed that morning following our assembly. 

Here's a journal writing from a young child in Texas as they prepared for their Veteran's Day assembly. 

This school is connected to one of our military bases. 

They had a slide show during their performance of my song of their parents in uniform. 

The musical staff of patriotic guitars was created for my arrival in Clyde OH. 

My two day residency in their midst was in honor of the retirement of their beloved Principal Peggy. 

We started off with quite an amazing assembly in the cafeteria. 

Now let's shift gears from patriotism to affirmation.

While you're being introduced to my work you might also want to consider my first book, 

"You're Wonderful" 

which is used for ECE graduations across the country. 

My second book is called "Tall Giraffe." 

So I am occasionally showered with giraffe love as well. 

Thank you card: "You are as unique as the spots on a Giraffe."

Here's the Slideshare program I created regarding designing an Author-Illustrator School or Library visit. I'm thrilled to see by their analytics that over 5000 people have watched/read it already! Time to create another Slideshare! 

Author illustrator slideshare from Debbie Clement

It is my great, good pleasure to join in the Kid-Lit Giveaway Hop in celebration of

 Children's Book Week! 

Dozens and dozens of bloggers have joined in this party.

I am giving a set of all three of my picture books. 

Signed and personalized! 

This is my first experiment with Raffelcopter selecting a winner. 

Hopefully I have installed it correctly. 

Time will tell! Seems like there's always more to learn!

The fun is being hosted by: 

Mother Daughter Book Reviews 

and

Youth Literature Reviews

Check back here in a week to congratulate the lucky winner! 

-- Debbie -- 

I'm now at 120,189 followers!     

Click this link to go there directly! 

Now at 313 followers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway