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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

No cupcakes, No time away from academics, No fun...

How do you celebrate birthdays in your classroom?  Or do you?  It seems that the higher in grade level you go the less fun you have in school.... even on your birthday!

We don't allow birthday celebrations at our school.  No cupcakes, no time away from academics, no fun!  Okay, we're really not that mean but birthday cupcakes are STRONGLY discouraged.  If by chance a parent does bring in cupcakes for their child's birthday they must be dropped off in the office and kept there until the end of the day when the cafeteria closes.  It is some Texas law that's called No Cupcake Left Behind!  Well, I may be exaggerating a bit but it feels that we have that law, especially to a cupcake lovin', pleasantly plump teacher like me.  Anywho, the cupcakes are allowed at the end of the day but because cupcakes are discouraged many parents don't bother.

My personal feeling is that everyone should feel special on their birthday so it is up to me to make my students feel special on their day (without a cupcake of course).  To celebrate my students' birthdays without taking too much time away from academics I put up this adorable banner I ordered from VistaPrint and take a picture of the birthday child's  by the banner.  Another awesome thing I ordered from VistaPrint are these adorable personalized birthday postcards.  I tape on a birthday pencil and place it on the student's desk.  The love it! It's like I gave them a hundred dollar bill.
 And if that wasn't enough I read the special birthday book.  Yup, I read the book several times throughout the year and it doesn't get old at all.  The students can't wait until its the next birthday so we can read the book again.  What book you ask?  Well, Happy Birthday to You of course!

So whether you are allowed to have cupcakes or not you can start your own classroom traditions that your students will treasure!   

Denise from Sunny Days in Second is having a birthday linky party so stop by and see what other fabulous birthday ideas you can learn!

6 comments:

  1. Love me some Vistaprint! No cupcake left behind - lol!! Kids are still allowed to bring cupcakes at my school, but of course only if one is for their pleasantly plump teacher..ha!
    Love ya Lo!
    Denise
    Sunny Days In Second Grade

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    1. HAHAHAHA Denise! I personally think that cupcakes should be served once a week, especially if they are red velvet!!! :)

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  2. Hi Lorraine!!

    Awe I love all you do to make their birthdays special!! And I definitely enjoy birthday treats as well so I encourage students to bring them in!! I love your birthday postcards that you made! I am going to have to order them with my next batch of Vista Print goodies!!!

    Molly
    Lessons with Laughter

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  3. Come on over to my blog. I've awarded you the Lovely Blog Award :)
    http://readandblacklearning.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-really-havent-fallen-off-face-of.html

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  4. Hi, Lorraine! I am getting your newsletter, and loving it!! I read this posting on Birthdays, and decided that next year I will have to make the poster to use in my classroom. I am curious if you do anything for those students who have summer birthdays or even birthdays over breaks since you give pencils and read the book for those birthdays that occur during the year. That is my dilemma. I don't want those kids to feel excluded. I celebrate birthdays with a T-shirt on a chair. I made it (as well as an extra for those times when there are two birthdays on the same day!) on Vistaprint. It has a cute little picture and it says, "It's my birthday!" I have it on their chair as they walk in first thing in the morning.
    Thanks for sharing your great ideas!
    Bev

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