Our friends at Pacific Northwest Canned Pears are making it fun to turn pears into art! They’re running a pears-into-artwork contest for teachers and making it ever more fun by offering a $1,000 SmileMakers gift certificate as the prize.

To participate, simply start a canned pear and then dress it up, animate it, make it cute or fierce, but make it one of a kind! Then enter the contest and submit your artwork to the Pacific Northwest Canned Pears Service.

Complete information, including all contest rules and guidelines are on available through their website.

Who knew pears could be so much fun?

During a casual dinner conversation, a group of Smile Scholars from schools throughout Upstate South Carolina, turned to a discussion of technology. Foaurth grade teacher Kitty Tripp shared her thoughts on using Twitter in her classroom. She has some good ideas for leveraging technology to give her students a wider range of experiences. Her conclusion? “I think Twitter’s going to be fun.”

Some teachers just have a ton of fun. Sounds like the fourth graders heading into Suzanne Hughes’s class at River Ridge Elementary might have some cool adventures in store this semester. After hearing Mrs. Hughes talk about the traditional field trip to Stone Mountain, Georgia for the Native American festival, I wanted to be in the fourth grade once again!

SmileMakers, Inc. Smile Scholar Kitty Tripp of Wellford Academy of Science and Technology gives some insight on what she’s learned over the summer and how things are looking at the start of a brand new school year.

SmileMakers is dedicated to providing a place where educators can find quality solutions for their classrooms for grade levels preschool through the 8th grade. We gathered a group of educators and administrators together to form Smile Scholars. We meet regularly to discuss product reviews, ideas for new products, issues affecting educators, and ways of making our catalog more educator-friendly.

You’re probably already using the powerful search capabilities of Google to find lesson plans, historical data, photos, and a world of other information to make your classroom time more interesting. Google is far more than a simple, easy-to-use search engine. Here’s a presentation by Richard Byrne to help you leverage the wealth of free stuff on Google.

Google for Teachers -

Each class day, people add more content to YouTube than you’ll be able to watch the rest of your life. Amongst the deluge of video content, there are nuggets that inspire creativity and may even launch unique projects and experiences for your students.

Consider a YouTube search for “Aesop’s Fables.” Surprisingly, the search returns only 1,270 videos. As search results go, that’s not much. In the mix were clips of students enacting fables, old cartoons of fables, and storytellers presenting them. One jumped off the screen and demanded attention.

The style of the video was different than anything else amidst the results: it was claymation. What’s particularly interesting is that it was created and produced by 1st and 2nd graders with the help of their teachers.

Recreating a fable through claymation adds a kinesthetic element to the project; filming it makes it not only last longer, it also makes it very easy to share with others. If you have a class enewsletter or send regular email updates to parents (or donors, booster, supporters), including video content showcasing stories recreated by your students might just get the attention of the folks you’re trying to reach.

When you create any art, craft, multimedia or other project you want to share with the world, please be sure to post them to the SmileMakers Facebook Page.

Wow. That was fast! Summer came, and now is nearly gone. Soon students will pour through your doors and await the launch of a brand new school year. Our newly updated catalog is designed to make it easier for you to get everything you need for the new year in one convenient place.

In addition to art and craft supplies, stickers, and room decor, you’ll also find over 650 new items plus hundreds of new products from Staples, too.

Throughout the catalog there are simple craft projects to help foster creativity and give you a turn-key project. For example, to give your students an invigorating kinesthetic experience, try the Make-Your-Own Clay Creations Project in the Arts & Crafts Modeling section of the catalog (in the purple section). You’ll see a couple of finished products along with a suggested supplies list making it easy to find everything you’ll need to launch your project.

While you’re paging through the catalog, be on the lookout for our Smiles Scholars. These are teachers who volunteer to try out new products and give us their feedback on how to use them effectively in the classroom. You’ll see a picture of all of these wonderful teachers when you open the catalog and then you’ll find them individually throughout the catalog. They share insight on their favorite products as well as ideas on getting the most educational value from games, crafts, activities, and more.

School is just around the corner. Please let us know how we can help you get ready for school with lots and lots of smiles!

Another school year is upon us and we’re here to help you with ideas to decorate, educate, motivate and save.

Start off the school year with Scholastic’s NEW Monsters Back To School Bulletin Board Set. These cute Monsters will brighten up your classroom and give a warm welcome to your students on those first days back at school. We have a coordinated trimmer, chart, notepad, and computer paper too!

Games make learning fun! Check out our large selection of games and activities to use during lessons and recess.

Are you looking for rewards that motivate? You’ll get a stamp of approval from your students with these fun NEW stampers.

We’ve also expanded our catalog by 40 additional pages filled with over 650 new products from Staples to make it easier for you to get all your school supplies.

Though it’s the middle of summer, we’re working hard to help you be prepared for a brand new school year (next month, right?)!

Windows are wonderful. There’s a built in adventure just on the other side of the sliver of glass between inside and outside. What do you do if you only have one small window in your classroom?

Just add another window! Not much budget you say? Here’s how you can add a window without putting in a requisition or negotiating a budget approval.

After we posted a note about Crayola’s new write-on-windows markers, K.C. Grewe posted an intriguing question on our Facebook Page:

How about framing transparencies? Go to the dollar store for the frames and stick a transparency sheet (maybe 2 for sturdiness) in the frame. Use transparency markers (I don’t know if these wall markers would work) to write, draw, etc and then wipe down when done.

For less, use sheet protectors. Pin/tape them up in different places around the room and create a window-like border around them. Then, have your students create pictures—images of what’s outside—and slip them in the pocket! These can be changed according to the season, theme, whatever you like. [by S Collazo and used by permission]

Wow. The creative geniuses over on that famous street have set records once again. Congratulations to the folks at Sesame Street on being awarded these Emmys:

• Outstanding Pre-School Children’s Series
• Outstanding Writing in a Children’s Series
• Outstanding Directing in a Children’s Series
• Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design/Styling
• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation: Peter de Seve, Character Designer, Abby’s Flying Fairy School
• Outstanding Achievement in Multiple Camera Editing
• Outstanding Performer In A Children’s Series: Kevin Clash as Elmo and Joey Mazzarino as Stinky, Murray & Blogg

The Sesame Street characters add tons of smiles all over the place. Here’s a sample of the products available through SmileMakers:

• Sesame Street Head Shot Sticker Assortment with 75 stickers of 5 different characters
• Silly Elmo Stickers with 75 stickers of 5 different poses
• Scented Sesame Street Beach Stickers with 50 stickers of 5 different designs
• Entire collection of SmileMakers Sesame Street stickers and products