Being Thankful + First Anniversary of our Collaboration

TURKEY TIME!!!

NOVEMBER!?! How is that possible?

You haven't even packed away the pumpkins and I'm ready to herald in the turkeys!  

In addition to this being the first of the month...... 

today is the first anniversary of our collaborative blog! 

So much to celebrate. So much to be thankful for..... 

I thought in honor of our first trip around the sun together, I'd gather up a gaggle of turkeys to help inspire some creative energy on your part. 

Take a look at this WONDERFUL example of some open-ended 'process' type art gathered into a clever Thanksgiving bulletin board in preschool. 

Preschool Thanksgiving Turkey Feather Art on the Bulletin Board

Many thanks to our 'regular' contributors who are writing an article for your benefit here every month. Without their hard work and dedication there would be no collaboration. Cyber hugs all around. I'm so grateful for your extending your busy lives to include your sharing with us every month!

Many thanks to our on-going 'guest' authors who have added to the width and breadth of our gathering by contributing once or some others who write every now and again -- or a few who write even more frequently. 

You know who you are! We're so happy to have you aboard.  

Paper Plate Turkeys in Preschool 

We have our "TOP TEN" articles as calculated by Google over there in our left sidebar for your easy reference, but that is just a minimal sprinkling of all that has been offered here over the past 12 months. 

I invite you to dig around here at your leisure. 

There are so many brilliant offerings tucked into every month! 

Open-Ended Art Work on Turkey Feathers for the Thanksgiving Bulletin Board in Preschool

We've really grown in our first year and we have exciting plans on the launching pad for our continued expansion in the year ahead. 

If its November, that means that NAEYC can't be too far away. 

Are you planning on being in Atlanta? 

Any number of our contributors have workshops and presentations for your support..... and we are so eager to meet you!

Connie Dow and I will be presenting on Friday afternoon at 3:00: 

on the topic dear to each of us: "Moving is Learning." 

Our Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld will host her annual Friday evening presentation at 6:30 -- always a crowd pleaser! I will join her on stage for a presentation of my classic song in sign language, "You're Wonderful." 

Our Laura Eldredge and cohort are presenting "Through New Eyes: Enhancing Preschool Literacy Experiences" on Thursday morning at 8:00. 

Our very own Deborah McNelis is starting the whole conference on Wed morning, beginning at 8:30 with her presentation,

"Brain Insights: Understanding the Remarkable Impact We can Make in Children's Optimal Development." 

Kindergarten Turkey Art Project for Thanksgiving

The big news on the horizon is the launch of our very own EEE!!!! 

I'm not at liberty to tell you what that stands for just yet, but I promise that it's exciting and just around the corner! 

Stay tuned and come get the details at my NAEYC booth #1910. 

We hope to have it all polished and ready to share this month. 

Just like projects on paper plates are always a sure-fire hit, 

how can you possibly go wrong with a painted turkey handprint? 

This is literally still hanging on the fridge of joy for my WonderBoy. 

He made this last year in Kindergarten. 

The happy turkey rhyme is awesome! 

My WonderBoy's Kindergarten Keepsake for Thanksgiving

I hope that you have time this month to take a deep breath and count your blessings. 

Each and every follower, regular reader and comment writer brightens this place, building an ever stronger collaboration in the process. 

Kindergarten Turkey MATH Project for Thanksgiving 

Find a quiet moment this month and make a list of all that you have to be grateful for and spell it out for the world to see. 

Count your blessings. Number them. 

Appreciate and be filled with gratitude. 

Preschool Thanksgiving Bulletin Board of Blessings and Gratitude

I just had a whole RoundUP of Gratitude, Kindness and Emotional Intelligence ideas over at my blog. Many of the ideas I've gathered would lend themselves to a thanksgiving exploration. Click over to my blog to see those images. 

Kindness in the Classroom: Gratitude and Emotional Intelligence at RainbowsWithinReach

OK. I just had to put those two of my favorite open-ended projects together for you to compare and contrast. So here comes that reminder for your viewing and pinning pleasure! 

BTW: ALL of these photos are from my various Author/Illustrator, Music-Lady school visits. I work extra hard these days to capture as many 'sights' from my own observations as I can to share with you -- the wider world. 



Now that it's officially November, I want to make you aware that my nationally award winning picture book "Red, White and Blue" would be the perfect addition to your observance of Veteran's Day. 



I have just put the traditional hardback children's picture book with CD insert on sale over at Teachers pay Teachers thru the coming weekend. If you hurry it could still be delivered in time for your use in the classroom. 

Illustrations from "Red, White and Blue" by Debbie Clement: made from fabric as small quilts

I have also put the digital zipped file version on sale -- which includes two Mp3 versions of the song: one a sung version and the second is an instrumental for your karaoke Kindergarten performances. You have more time at your disposal for that instant-download. 

-- Debbie --

I would be so excited to meet you in person next week in Atlanta. Come introduce yourself and give me a hug!

Come find us at NAEYC: I'll be in booth #1910 in the Exhibit Hall 

Debbie Clement, Editor-in-Residence here is usually blogging over at RainbowsWithinReach sharing of her various travels and projects. She's the composer of over 100 original songs for children housed on nine albums. She also is the nationally award winning author/illustrator of three picture books based on her songs which are included in the back of each book as a CD inset. 

Her newest effort is the launching of a little cyber-shop over at Teachers pay Teachers where her songs are becoming available in digital download Mp3 zip files. 

Her favorite social network is Pinterest. Where she has catalogued nearly 20,000 pins in categories for the PreK+K Crowd. Come join her over 77,000 followers to keep up to date on all things visual!