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03-16-08

ONLINE CATALOG & DOWNLOAD PROBLEMS -

Yikes!  Someone was kind enough to send me a note letting me know that there was a problem with my online catalog, that was preventing most people from being able to make purchases.  The problem seems to be with the raw .html code, as the type of download links used by my download service has recently changed and the old link types became obsolete.

I am updating all of the catalog links this afternoon, Sunday March 16, and uploading the catalog page as each section is completed.  Please check back on Sunday evening or Monday morning if you are unable to complete your purchases this afternoon.

01-03-08

Happy New Year!

It's A Brand New Year at KinderKorner, and I've been hearing from lots of teachers about their plans for the second half of the school year.  If you're spending part of your winter break preparing for the new semester, you'll find lots of support, materials, tools, and ideas on the KinderKorner Website & KinderKorner Listserv.

* New Product Released 01-02-08 - IT'S A BRAND NEW YEAR THEMATIC LITERACY PACK:  This is a terrific mini-pack filled with materials that are ready-to-use on your first day back.  Includes 4 original songs & poems (3 were written last weekend) plus a new emergent reader, all on a New Year's or Leap Year theme.  Reproducible masters included for Poetry Journal Pages, Song & Poetry Cards for Shared Reading & Independent Reading, student-sized Emergent Reader, Big Book masters, Pocket Chart Illustrations, and Vocabulary Cards.  Available as an Instant Download in .pdf format for only $6.95.

* Free Printables For January - Print the entire January chapter from Good Morning Songs, Set 1.  Emergent Reader, Song & Poetry Card, Pocket Chart Set, & more.

* Website Updates: The main KinderKorner.com page has a new look, which is actually the return of an old look ... I've brought back the Featured Units & Activities Quilt, to make it easier for you to go directly to the pages of photos, themes, and ideas that support your current units.  I'm also compiling and reorganizing some of the old In My Room Photo Pages materials onto their own pages, to save you time.

 


 

11-11-07 - A Note From Victoria

Hello from beautiful Bakersfield, where the weather is still warm and the days are too short ...

It's been a long time since I've posted here, so I'd like to take a few moments to fill in the gaps since the beginning of 2007.

As many of you know, I've been unavailable for much of this year, due to my mother's illness and death.  She died without a will and left a very large house -- literally filled from floor-to-ceiling with stuff -- located several hundred miles from where I live. 

Much of my time this year has been devoted to the many things which must be done before her estate can be settled ... those of you who have been through this know how mentally and physically exhausting this can be, especially when it involves being away from home for extended periods of time.  I expect it will be another 6 to 12 months before my brothers and I will finish going through everything and sell the house.  Many lessons to be learned from this experience, and not all of them good ones :o)

With the holidays approaching, I am happy to be staying home for a few weeks.  For the remainder of 2007, I plan to be in the KinderKorner office 3 to 4 hours per day on weekdays.  I hope to have all backorders for books & resource materials shipped by November 20:  if you have a "missing" order, it should arrive within the next couple weeks. 

Once that is completed, I will be catching up on phone calls and email.  I currently have over 400 emails waiting for responses, so please accept my apologies if you have sent me a teaching question or a personal note and I have not been able to reply.  KinderKorner is a one-person business, and I greatly appreciate your continued patience during the coming weeks, while I get far-too-many loose ends caught up.

I am also working on necessary updates to the website, including removing the purchase links for printed products, as I no longer offer my resource materials in that format.  Due to time constraints -- and to lessen my personal contribution to global warming -- all KinderKorner Resource Products are now available as Instant Download Files in .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format only.

I will also be preparing homework calendar sets for the current (07-08) school year, as that is another project that has repeatedly been set aside due to a lack of time.  They will be available for purchase in the very near future, so that those of you who start sending homework at the beginning of the second semester will have them on time.

Please keep an eye on the What's New page for additional information and updates to the site, and thanks again for your support and understanding during what has been a very challenging time.

Wishing all of you a happy and healthy holiday season,

Victoria :o)
 


OLD UPDATES

3-16-06

Come visit my new -- and still-in-progress -- St. Patrick's Day page.  As with some of the other pages I've added in the past few months, it's not-quite-late for this year and super-early for next year.  I'll be adding more art projects, etc., later today. 


3-4-06

* New product ~ March 2006 Thematic Pack is now available for purchase. 
Themes include St. Patrick's Day, Rain & Rainbows, Seasons, and Insects (caterpillar/butterfly and grasshopper).  The set includes eight new songs and poems in two sizes, plus a new emergent reader titled "Winter Or Spring?"  Packs are available for instant download or delivery by U.S. Postal mail.

* Updated Theme Packs page

 

2-13-06

Happy Monday, and Happy Day Off to those of you who teach here in the U.S. and have today off in honor of Abraham Lincoln.  Enjoy your free day if you have one, and if you're in one of the snowed-in eastern states, stay warm and dry :)

I uploaded a new Valentines Thematic Unit page at 6:30 a.m. PST.  There are many more things I'd like to add, but I wanted to get it online for anyone who might still be in need of a new song or poem, or perhaps an art project or two for tomorrow.  Be sure to check back later today to see what else I've added to the page during the afternoon.

I also completed some updates on my Breast Cancer Awareness page this weekend, and I hope you'll visit the page and add the Fund Free Mammograms link to your favorites so that you can click on it daily ... it's free and every click helps pay for mammograms for women who can't afford this vital exam.


2-7-06

I've received several notes asking if the blackline masters for my Black History Month Emergent Reader --
"African-American Inventions" -- can be purchased separately from the February theme pack.  I don't normally separate sets into individual items, but I've decided to give it a try this time and see what the response is like.  If you'd like to purchase only the blackline masters for the little book and big book sizes of "African-American Inventions" -- without the eight songs and poems in the February 2006 Thematic Pack -- they're now available as an Instant Download for only $5.  Here's a link to the information page ... the purchase button for the book masters only is right below the sample pages.


2-6-06

* New product ~ February 2006 Thematic Pack is now available for purchase. 
Themes include Valentine's Day, Presidents' Day, Black History Month, Children's Dental Health Month, and Groundhog Day.  The set includes eight new songs and poems in two sizes, plus a hot-off-the-press (whew!) emergent reader (see next item).  Packs are available for instant download or delivery by U.S. Postal mail.

* The February 2006 Monthly Thematic Pack emergent reader is titled "African-American Inventions" and includes a set of bonus masters for making a big book version for shared reading.  I'm especially proud of this book, as it dispels a lot of the misinformation being circulated regarding inventions by Black Americans, and the illustrations -- the original inventors' drawings submitted to the U.S. Patent Office -- are wonderful.  Click here to see sample pages from "African-American Inventions."

* Winter Products Sale ~ save 20% to 40% on my most popular winter themed resources.  You must use the sale links on the main KinderKorner page to receive the sale prices when ordering online.  For mail orders, phone orders, and fax orders, simply list the sale price.


2-4-06

Welcome to February!  Things have been very hectic in my life -- business and personal -- for the past two weeks, and in the midst of all that's going on I somehow forgot to update this page with the latest KinderKorner news.  Here's a brief recap of the past three weeks:

* I completed my newest Emergent Readers Set -- Groundhogs & Valentines -- before the end of January, and added the info to the main KinderKorner page and the online catalog page, but overlooked adding it here.  This is an all-new set of six thematic emergent readers (3 for Groundhog Day and 3 for Valentine's Day).  There are two sets of reproducible masters for each title:  one set to make a student-sized book and another set to make your own large-format Big Book for shared reading and independent practice.  This new emergent reader set comes in a new format:  all pages are 8.5" x 11", to simplify the printing process when making big books.

Along with the new format is a new price:  this set is just $20 (as an instant download) and $25 (delivered by USPS postal mail).  That's a 20% savings off the "old" Emergent Readers set prices of $25 and $32.  Full details and ordering information can be found in the online catalog.

* I had a terrific time as a keynote speaker at the three day SCECA conference held in Greenville last week, and enjoyed talking with so many of the wonderful teachers in attendance.  I'm looking forward to presenting summer 2006 workshops in Charleston, SC, as well as Charlotte and Winston-Salem, NC.  Please check the
Workshops & Conferences page for details as they become available.  I will also be at the 2007 SCECA conference in Myrtle Beach next January, once again presenting a half-day pre-conference workshop plus breakout sessions on the following days.

Two items of a more personal nature:

* While I was in SC, my 92-year-old father-in-law had a heart attack and was hospitalized for 8 days.  He is now back at home and enjoying a speedy -- and, hopefully, full -- recovery.  Please keep our family in your prayers during this difficult time.


1-9-06

Updated my Websites For Teachers links page.

1-8-06

Updated Winter Book List page, which contains dozens of suggested titles to use with your winter units, including the following themes:  Winter, Snow and Snowmen, Gingerbread & Cookies, Penguins, Hats & Mittens, and Christmas (yes, that's over for this school year, but it's still a part of the page).  This is an "old" page that went online in 2001, to help teachers match read aloud titles with the books in my winter themed emergent reader sets, but there's still lots of good info here as well as some useful links.


1-6-06

Added additional links to the New Year's @ KinderKorner Thematic Unit page.  Be sure to visit this page to print out free math worksheets plus your choice of nearly a dozen free calendars for 2006.

1-4-06

New page online ~ Holidays & Special Days 2006 ... find out what's being celebrated in many parts of the world, complete with links

1-2-06

I've added some more great information and goodies to the New Year's @ KinderKorner Thematic Unit  page.  Here's some of what's new since Sunday afternoon:

* Links to 10+ free printable 2006 calendars for you and your students

* Free printable "How Many Is 2006?" blackline masters from me ... so you can show your students exactly how many 2006 really is.  Four different types of printables are in the free packet, including a partially filled-in number writing grid (1 to 2006) plus a blank grid with 2006 spaces to use as you wish.  Click here to go directly to the download button.

* Lots of new links to printable resources, New Year's lesson ideas, etc.

1-1-06

It took a little longer than I thought it would, but the all-new New Year's @ KinderKorner Thematic Unit  page is now online.  I'm still tweaking it a bit, so please try again if the page won't load.  AOL users who loaded the temporary page during the past 12 hours may need to clear their browser cache or open a separate copy of Internet Explorer (or another browser program) in order to load the updated page.

12-31-05

Happy New Year to all of you ... may it be filled with love, health, strength, wisdom, blessings, and both kinds of peace:  inner  and world.  My deepest thanks to all of you for the support you continue to show to one another, as well as to me, throughout each year.  The work that each of us does makes a difference in the lives of many people:  the children, families, and coworkers we meet with every day, along with thousands of people around the globe -- strangers and friends, in cyberspace and beyond -- that we may never meet.

I am ending 2005 and beginning 2006 with a special thematic page for you, New Year's @ KinderKorner.  Discussions on my listserv over the past few days have revealed that are almost no New Year's curriculum pages or thematic units available to teachers on the Internet, and the few resources that are out there are difficult to find.  I've spent the past three days putting together a New Year's page, with more than a dozen classroom songs and poems -- mainly brand new ones I've written myself -- plus links to curriculum, arts and crafts projects, the history of New Year's day and how it's celebrated around the world, online fun for kids, New Year's themed webpage sets and clipart, quotations, and a whole lot more.  Please stop by a bit later to take a look, the link should be active around 10 p.m. PST on New Year's Eve.

12-28-2005

Updated Breast Cancer Awareness Page ~ lots of new links, new personal stories (Michelle Best's story about The BIG Haircut and being bald is an upbeat, must-read essay), plus some new graphics (sigtags, adoptions, web graphics) to show awareness and support.

12-27-2005

New Product: January 2006 Monthly Thematic Pack.  Themes include New Year, Snow and Snowmen, Mittens, Penguins, Martin Luther King, Jr., and 100 Day.  The January emergent reader is titled "A Snowman."  January Thematic Packs are now available to order, and can be delivered by postal mail or by instant download if purchased through PayPal.

12-22-05

Added an additional 100+ links to the new Links For Teachers Page

12-21-05

Added all new Links For Teachers Page, with hundreds of categorized links ... please send me an email if you know of a site I should add :)

All Christmas-themed resource products are now on sale for 50% off through the end of December.  To receive the sale prices, you must use the links in the What's On Sale? section on the main KinderKorner page.  Sale items include December Thematic Pack, Christmas Emergent Reader Set, and It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas resource book.

12-18-05

Added make-a-book project -- "Oh, Christmas Tree" -- to It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas page

Updated  my
Breast Cancer Awareness page

12-17-05

Added additional classroom website links to  Polar Express Thematic Unit Page

12-16-05

In late November, I added some free January printables to the KinderKorner website. The info is still listed on the What's New page, but it's now so far down the page that there's a good chance people might not read down far enough to find the info :)

Here, again, is the link to the free January printables, to help you get the New Year off to a great start:

Free Printables for January 2006:

Here's a list of what you'll find:

* January Emergent Reader
* Clipart for Pocket Chart Set
* January Good Morning Song
* January Vocabulary Cards


12-14-05

New online thematic unit ~ Reindeer

Added online game links & updated teacher site links on It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas page

Updated links on Polar Express Thematic Unit Page

Updated links on G Is for Gingerbread Unit Page

Updated Welcome To The Pumpkin Patch Page (yes, I know it's December :)


12-09-05

Updated Polar Express Thematic Unit Page:
* Added link to online video ~ author/illustrator Jan Brett shows how to draw a train

Updated G Is for Gingerbread Unit Page:
* Added link to online video ~ author/illustrator Jan Brett reads and draws Gingerbread Baby
* Added photos and links for Gingerbread Lamp Project, History of Gingerbread, Gingerbread House Photo Album, Sugar Cube House Project, and Gift Tags (all are near bottom of page).


12-07-05

Added photo of Train Project from TLC Lessons to Polar Express Thematic Unit Page:.

12-06-05

Updated Polar Express Thematic Unit Page:
* Added links to Train Safety Lesson Plans for grades K - 3
* Added link to printable Train Safety Certificate

12-05-05

Updated It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas thematic unit page:
* Added  photos of five TLC Lessons directed art projects
* Added new art project photos ~ handprint wreath, hands-and-footprint reindeer, poinsettias, and more

Updated Polar Express Thematic Unit Page:
* Added five additional songs & poems
* Added section on Ideas, Activities, & Projects
* Added many new links to the links section ... lots of great pages to visit!

12-04-05

CHRISTMAS THEME EMERGENT READERS ON SALE ~ 50% off, save up to $10.00
Oops ... I'm not sure how I forgot this one when I listed the sale information yesterday :o)
3 title reproducible emergent reader set is sale-priced for December.  You must use the special purchase links in the SALE section in order to receive the sale prices, or call Kelly at the KinderKorner office (M-F, 661.664.9508).


12-03-05

WEEKEND 25% OFF SALE ON WINTER THEMED PRODUCTS ~ Save up to $27.25
All of my winter-themed resource books are on sale this weekend, Saturday through Monday.  You must use the special purchase links in the SALE section in order to receive the sale prices.  Phone orders will be accepted on Monday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. PST, and the sale ends at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday morning.  Here's what's on sale:
     ~ December Thematic Pack
     ~ It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas resource book
     ~ Winter Themed Reproducible Emergent Readers/Big Books set
     ~ Winter Wonderland Too! thematic resource book

* 7 a.m. PST ~ uploaded new Polar Express Thematic Unit Page ~ and now I get to go to sleep :o)

* Added additional links to the It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas thematic unit page

* Updated
Online Themes & Units page

11-27-05

* Added links to free printable sample pages from Good Morning Songs, Set 1 ~ free printables include January emergent reader, January Good Morning Song, January Vocabulary Cards, and more

Updated the following pages:

* KinderKorner Homepage

* It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas thematic unit page

* Online Products Catalog

*Printable Order Form

11-19-2005

Hello from Calgary, Alberta, where I've just finished two wonderful days at the Early Childhood Education Council conference.  It was great to come to Calgary for the first time and meet so many enthusiastic KinderKorner fans and friends.  Here's what's new at KinderKorner this weekend:

*
New Product:  December 2005 Monthly Thematic Pack.  Themes include Gingerbread, Reindeer, Candles & Wreaths, Christmas, and Hanukkah.  The December emergent reader is titled "Little Jack Horner." 

* New Product/Feature:  Just in time for the holidays (and after three long years of waiting), PayPal has added a Gift Certificate that can be redeemed online.  KinderKorner Gift Certificates can be purchased online, and can be used to pay for materials and/or workshops though the purchase and registration links on the KinderKorner website.  Gift Certificates can be sent by email and/or you can print out a copy to wrap and deliver.  If you need the perfect gift for a friend or co-worker -- or would like someone special to purchase a gift certificate for YOU -- please use the Buy A Gift Certificate banners/buttons found at the top of the KinderKorner Homepage and the KinderKorner Online Catalog.

11-02-2005

Hello from Victoria :o)  Just a couple quick things to share:

* A big
Thank You to everyone who has taken the time to visit TheBreastCancerSite.com during the month of October.  Your brief visits (just long enough to click the Fund Free Mammograms button) helped to fund a total of 621 mammograms for women in need.  Please continue visiting the site daily and continuing your free support of the free mammograms program.

* On a more personal note, I am having several minor surgeries (dental stuff) during the months of November and December, and have had to schedule my appointments and recovery time around prior commitments to state and regional conferences (ECEC in Calgary, CKA in California, and SCECA in South Carolina).  In order to fit in the necessary medical stuff during the holiday months, I had to cancel workshops that were planned for Los Angeles/Burbank and Victoria, BC.  Like Little Rabbit, I will "have a window in my mouth" for several weeks (aaack!).  All good thoughts and kind wishes are appreciated ... I simply wanted to assure everyone that I am not ill (and also that I am not brave enough or wealthy enough to get a face lift, now that I'm 50), and that I will be working as usual during those months, despite the workshop cancellations. 

10-25-05

Updated the following pages:

* A Rainbow Of Colors Thematic Unit

* Workshops & Conferences Schedule

* Index Page


* Breast Cancer Awareness

10-11-05

Added new sale items:  save 15% on Standards-Based Bingo and/or Zip Around The Year.  Orders must be placed through sales links on main KinderKorner page, reached through the sale items link at the top of the KinderKorner main page.


10-01-05

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I've added a very special Breast Cancer Awareness Page for the KinderKorner website.  The page will be online all year long, as a resource page for anyone who is looking for information about most breast cancer topics, including:  prevention, BSE (breast self examination), mammograms, diagnosis, treatment, support for patients and caregivers, family information, personal stories, cancer organizations, male breast cancer, and a whole lot more.  Please tell your family and friends about this new comprehensive resource.


9-30-05

Updated Workshops & Conferences Page to include info on the following locations and dates:

* Phoenix, AZ ~ Saturday October 22 ~ Restructuring Reading Instruction: Independent Literacy Centers & Workboard Jobs

* Bakersfield, CA ~ Saturday October 29 ~ Restructuring Reading Instruction: Independent Literacy Centers & Workboard Jobs

* Los Angeles/Burbank, CA ~ Saturday December 3 ~ Restructuring Reading Instruction: Independent Literacy Centers & Workboard Jobs

* Victoria, BC ~ Saturday January 21, 2006 ~ Working With Beginning Writers



9-29-05

New Product:  November 2005 Monthly Thematic Pack.  Themes include autumn leaves, scarecrows, table manners, turkeys, and Thanksgiving.  The November emergent reader is titled "A Turkey."  I put this pack online several weeks ahead of schedule, as many of you teach some of the included themes in October:  leaves and scarecrows are both popular October themes in areas where fall arrives much earlier than in Bakersfield, and of course Canadian Thanksgiving is in October.

Product Update:  On September 12, I released a new-and-improved edition of the Good Morning Songs for Pre-K and Kindergarten.  On September 27, I discovered the html code for purchasing the product was corrupted, which explains why no one had ordered the product online during that two week period :o)  As my kids like to say, "My bad."  Here again is the info on this new item:  Good Morning Songs, Set 1 ~ For Pre-K & Kindergarten Classrooms.  This is a greatly-expanded version of the original Kindergarten Good Morning Songs, which have been discontinued.  The new book contains an additional 100 pages of ready-to-use materials and extensions.  Added materials include reproducible Emergent Readers, Large Format Song & Poetry Cards, and Vocabulary Cards. 

9-27-05

New Product:  October 2005 Monthly Thematic Pack.  Themes include pumpkins, bats, spiders, fire safety, skeletons/bones, and I Could Be.

9.1.05 

Updated the In My Room photo page for 1.20.2001 ~ topics/themes covered include:  Winter/Snow/Snowmen, Lois Ehlert Snowballs activities & author study, Jan Brett The Mitten thematic unit & author study, milk jug igloo, TLC art projects for January, shared writing and phonics instruction,  song & poetry cards, additional art projects and learning games, big books you can make, and more

8.30.05

Added contribution banners for the American Red Cross to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina ~ please join my family in contributing whatever amount you can.  Webmasters ... you can download Red Cross banners and links at http://www.redcross.org/psa/bannerorder/all/

Updated the following pages:

8.29.05

Added special page on Monthly Thematic Literacy Packets.

Added printable sample Song & Poetry master ~ Happy Birthday Little Star.  Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Added printable sample Emergent Reader ~ Hearts.  Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

8.22.05

September 2005 Thematic Pack is now available for purchase, and can be delivered by mail or instant download.  Themes are:  I Am Special ~ Apples ~ Colors ~ Down On The Farm ~ School Rules ~ Safety/Signs.   Click here for full information.

8.20.05

Added printable sample pages for Workboard Cards for Learning Centers.

New page:  alphabetical listing of links to my Online Themes & Units ~ an alternative to the
Monthly Themes page, which will remain online.

8.19.05

New product:  Workboard Cards For Learning Centers
More than 160 reproducible icon cards for your workboard and for labeling centers in your classroom, divided into the following categories:

  • Developmental Centers
     
  • Literacy & Academic Centers
  • Math jobs, math manipulatives, and Math Their Way Centers
  • Thematic Centers
These are the cards included in the handouts package from my Independent Literacy Centers & Workboard Jobs workshop, and they have not previously been available to non-workshop attendees.  This versatile set of centers cards is only $15, and can be shipped by postal mail or purchased as an instant download so that you can start using them today.

8.16.05

August 2005 Thematic Pack is now available for purchase, and can be delivered by mail or instant download.  Themes are:  School ~ Friends ~ Alphabet ~ Names ~ Birthdays.   Click here for full information.

8.4.05

What Teachers Are Saying page added.

7.1.05

Product Sale:  Save 15% on Happy All Year and Nursery Rhymes For Joyful Times ~ you must use sale links on main KinderKorner page to receive sale prices

Added Featured Products  to KinderKorner Index Page

Updated Workshops & Conferences page and added hotel/meeting location information for Los Angeles Kindergarten Kick Off Workshop

6.30.05

I returned home from 3 very successful and exciting workshop days in Charleston, SC, and got back to work on the website updates.  Please check back on Friday and Saturday to see what's new.

6.22.05

About Victoria
new professional bio page

The Monthly Scoop

coming soon ... pageset is online and waiting for content to be added

6.21.05

Redesigned the KinderKorner Index Page & added new Site Map

Moved What's New Section to separate page (you're already there :)

   






peek-a-boo!

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Send a note to Victoria

Business Office
KinderKorner.com
1805 Angers Court
Bakersfield, CA   93311

Telephone Numbers
office:  661-664-9508
fax:  661-664-8786

xox


The KinderKorner.com website, the KinderKorner Listserv, all KinderKorner Resource Products, and the business name/trade name "KinderKorner.com" are all owned and copyrighted in full by Victoria Smith,  as are all non-credited photos and text throughout the website.  All rights reserved.

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