Thursday, March 14, 2013

Check Out the Banner I Made for my Teachers Pay Teachers Store

This banner is displayed on my Teachers Pay Teachers store.Check it out. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kathy-Stemke
Please consider joining this teacher resource site and following me to se the new products that I offer.
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Guardian Angel Kids FREE Ezine!


The March 2013 issue of Guardian Angel Kids Magazine is now available online at http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/ This month's issue is all about nutrition.

Book Features this month include One Large Peanut Butter Sandwich to Go by Linda Derkez and Rattlesnake Jam by Margot Finke. Poetry, short stories, articles and activities for kids fill this issue. Get parent teacher tips as well.

Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Do You Need to Jazz up Your Shop with a Custom Banner Design?



If you need a banner made check out this etsy shop. She created the one above for me and I love it.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/124383081/custom-banner-design-top-banner-design


Custom banner design - Top banner design for Etsy - custom creation branding marketing exclusive design made to order

From Adesigner4u

Her profile: I'm a professional graphic designer. I'm offering my services to create your shop's top banner. I use your logo or photos (logo design is not included), I write what you want me to write and I offer you 3 chances to redo the job, if you don't like. I'm fast and my design style is clean, modern and elegant. You can see some examples of my banners on the images of this listing. Because this kind of job is really fast and I have practice doing banners for sites I'm asking only $25.00 to create and send your banner via e-mail, for your use inside Etsy.

Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Writers On The Move: Book Clubs for Writers and Other Readers

Writers On The Move: Book Clubs for Writers and Other Readers: Two members from my local writers group and I are forming a book club. We decided to get together to read books on the craft of writing beca...

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

N is for Necklace Project and my New Jewelry Designs!

N is for Necklace Project for Kids

I've been fighting bronchitis since December 20th. Bed bound, I decided to create some jewelry from repurposed items. Here's what I came up with.








This necklace is made with ribbon, string,
beads, an antique drawer pull, and an antique key.



















This necklace was made from a simple chain necklace as its base. I added an antique shoe clip, lock and key, heart, earring, silver coin and a vintage cameo.










Next, I thought of a classroom project. Half the fun of this project is collecting the materials you want to make a necklace.

Have the kids do some collecting on their own. Here are some suggestions: buttons, tiny toys like cars or dolls, old jewelry (ask mom first), ribbon, string, chains, washers from dad's tool box,or old keys.

The teacher can add cardboard shapes like hearts, circles, squares, dogs, cats, fish, or even abstract shapes. You can have the kids paint or color them or you can use gold, silver or copper spray paint and do it yourself.

Feathers, beads, or painted toilet paper rolls would be handy as well. Punch holes on the top of each roll on each side for stringing and punch holes on the bottom so the kids can hang other objects from the bottom.

Antique drawer pulls or brass furniture parts can also make special feature.

You can make this a two day project, one day for preparing the objects and one day for assembling the necklace. Or you do the prep work and use just one day for the kids to assemble. Your choice.

This necklace was made with two chains, a piece from an old purse and an old piece of jewelry.























This necklace is copper. I used copper chain, beads, bling rhinestone, and a copper pin.















This necklace has an asymetric look to it with lots of beads, different chains and a large pendant.


















Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Sunday, December 30, 2012

10 New Year Activities for Kids!

By Erin McNeill
New Year’s Eve is an exciting time for everyone; why not take the time to plan an extraordinary event for the kids in your life? Everyone in the family can be involved in the activities to help create a healthy and safe New Year for all of your family members.
  1. Create your own time capsule – Throughout the year gather clippings and other artifacts from important events that happened and put them all in a time capsule. Add in souvenirs and a few pictures from places you visited also. Store it in a safe place and decide together when you’ll open it again. It would be fun to open it each year and go through the contents and then add mementos from the previous year.
  2. Make party hats – Create your own party hats for your celebration! Decorate them before you assemble them; you can use pom-poms, glitter, sequins, glitter glue, ribbon, and anything else you fancy.
  3. Decorate cookies – Bake a bunch of sugar cookies ahead of time and have frosting ready to go for some serious cookie decorating. Make sure you have a lot of fancy decorations on hand like sprinkles and sanding sugars!
  4. Make fancy kid drinks – Have some sparkling juices and ingredients for Shirley Temple’s on hand so that the kids can feel fancy at their New Year’s Eve party. Having some fresh fruit to drop into the glasses before serving will ensure that the kids feel like the grown-ups!
  5. Play traditional party games with a New Year’s theme – Keep kids involved in the celebration (without them getting too wild and out of control!) by planning some party games. Pin the party hat on the person, musical chairs with holiday themed music, and a sequined ball piñata are just some of the activities to choose from.
  6. Make your own sequined balls – Create your own ball just like the one they drop at midnight! All you need is a two-inch foam ball, some straight pins or craft glue, colorful sequins, and a chenille stem. Older kids can use straight pins to pin the sequins into the balls while younger kids can glue the sequins on (be sure to allow drying time). Push a chenille stem part way through the top and use the other end as a hanger. Hang up all of the balls and admire the festive atmosphere you’ve created.
  7. Learn how to say Happy New Year in many languages – Make cards that show how to say Happy New Year in different languages and practice them on each other. Be sure to include a phonetic pronunciation of each language to help your guests read the cards. If you want to be really tricky you can make your guests guess which language each card is from!
For the rest of this article click HERE:

Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Sunday, November 11, 2012

A LETTER FROM A VICTIM OF SANDY, LONG BEACH, LONG ISLAND

Please read this letter from a former student of mine. He has lost his home, business and two vehicles! Please consider donating to his fund at this site: http://www.indiegogo.com/sean-newman?c=home

To my friends and family,

Thank you all for your well wishes and your prayers I deeply appreciate them. My friend Lisa has been good enough to post on here for me and today I'm in Rockville center for some Wifi, to post this.

So everyone understands, I'm appreciative of FEMA, the National Guard, and the Red Cross but the reality of the situation is that when this type of disaster happens the first responders, neighbors, and yourself are what will get you through. My day begins at 5:30 am when I get up and get myself, my son, and my dog ready. I power my cell phone on the car charger while we drive to get online for gas two towns away and fill up our gas cans and the car we are using. My car was submerged by the bay on Monday night.  My mother is letting me use her car after the cars at my parent’s house were miraculously left untouched. After an hour wait for gas we see if we can grab a guilty luxury of hot coffee somewhere and maybe a newspaper to see if anyone can tell us when the power could be back.

My father will be at city hall at 9am. His usual routine is to ask questions and be told to talk to FEMA officials. When he asks where they are no one knows. The FEMA volunteers are giving out water and food today by the schools but anyone with answers will be available at some point later. I sat outside Starbucks in Rockville center to get WiFi and filled out my FEMA application on their website for my home and my business both of which are ruined. The house I will clean out on Monday but it is 17 miles away and I don't want to drive out there until I know gas will be easier to obtain. The business will only be given a loan at 4% and only after I go through my insurance. My insurance broker has been unreachable for the business and when I drive to Rockville center tomorrow for cell service I will try the main company. At best they will look at my store in 2weeks and most likely a month, not sure when FEMA will or what either will do or what I will qualify for, it's mostly just about waiting when it comes to either of them. I stop by home depot to try and get a kerosene space heater but they are sold out. I'm bummed. I wanted to buy one for my grandmother and my friend who have no heat other than their gas stoves. I stop at ACE and they are out too but just got kerosene fuel in so I buy two gallons just in case I get heater later.

We drop newspapers and gas off to my parents and then meet the kids who work for me at my store to clean up the place. They are great kids. They know I can't pay them for awhile and they still show up, to say I'm thankful would be an understatement, and their parents should be proud of the kind of kids they raised. My store is ruined. The floor and roof caved in the back and the floor is sinking in the front. The water rose past any barriers and flooded out the store, destroying

all the inventory including the early inventory we brought for Christmas. The florist case is destroyed and the flowers are rotting in the case. Every plant in my greenhouse was flooded with salt water, every bag of soil, and fertilizer is ruined. We put a forklift and Gerard's motorcycle in here for protection and both appear to be dead. The front of the greenhouse was smashed when the rising water brought pallets of soils from the back of the store to front, crashing them in to the benches that then pushed in the front wall of the greenhouse. The heating systems were destroyed and the pickup was flooded as well. Today we will work cleaning out the store till 3. I speak to my friend who owns the repair shop across the street. He asks me if he could buy some fire wood but I refuse his money and tell him to take what he needs. He lost everything in his shop. All his tools and equipment are gone. He got in touch with his insurance broker who told him he is covered for hazard but not flood. He doesn't want a loan to get back in business so he will take his own savings to reopen. He is a good man and I'm sorry for him. We had some people come in to buy firewood even after I warned them it needed days to dry out from the salt water and wet sand covering it. They didn't care. It broke my heart to turn one guy away when he didn't have cash, but there is no power for credit and we are down to three chords of wood. If I knew I could get more wood I would have given it to him but I can't get a hold of my wood guy. We finish cleaning and as we head out, I thank everyone.
 

While there is still light out I walk Nula through the town. The pictures I saw in the paper don't do it justice and they don’t describe the smell of oil and gasoline that had been everywhere. There is a 12' section of the boardwalk on top of a red Nissan a half of a mile from where the boardwalk used to be. It’s quiet too, with just the sounds of generators or clean-up crews breaking the silence, but the liveliness that was this town is gone. The bull dozers have been pushing the beach out of the streets round the clock for two days now and the west end of long beach is obliterated. All the apartment buildings have been vacated except for the supers who are pumping water out. I bump into my uncle who is back from the rockaways and tells me they are worse. His neighbor’s house in belle harbor is missing the front. He tells me the Hess in Island Park opened one pump an hour ago and the gas line is 2miles long already. He told me state troopers are there to keep it in order. My beautiful beachside town I grew up in and love has its sidewalks lined with the contents of people's homes, all just ruined. There are so many abandoned cars that they have been slapped with stickers so the tow companies know which to get later. I walk by my friend Carlos's clothing store. It's boarded up but I already know he must have lost everything there. I remember reading that Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are doing a benefit concert for the devastated areas. I think it's kinda funny that they think they will help anyone when they really need it. If they didn't do the concert and sent some generators here that might be of help, but I'm not a fan of either so I'm just a little jaded. I have to get home before curfew starts. The National Guard will arrest anyone on the street after 7pm.  5 days of this and I'm exhausted, I just have to hold out till it’s back to normal.

I would like to say I talk to my parents but I'm so mentally tired I just nod a lot and tell them I don't know. I try not to speak because I want to keep level headed and focus on what I can do. When I think of what I can't control I start to lose it. I tell my parents LIPA might have the power on by November 10 or 11th by what the paper said but I don't think we will have before Thanksgiving because of a nor'easter that might hit next Wednesday. They say we might have water by Monday or Tuesday and we shouldn't use the tap to even wash. My son brings firewood in and I am thankful for him. He has been my right arm since he moved in with me and I try to keep strong for him. I don't know where we will live when the power comes back. The house I have I had just rented out was destroyed, and the apartment that I was renting most likely will be condemned. The foundation shifted in the flood and until they get a structural engineer they can't pump the water out of the basement for fear it might collapse. Apartments will be hard to find because there won't be that many livable ones available and most of my savings will be used up just living without any income coming in from my store. I spend my night watching my son play with my nephew. My nephew runs through the house laughing the way only toddlers can. It has become my greatest joy watching them and spending time with my parents, my sisters and my nephew. God can show you how important the little things you take for granted are. I try not to let everything else worry me and just dwell on these things, letting them become my most important memories. I thank the Lord that so far everyone I know is ok. I thank him that my parent’s home was ok and they have heat and room for my son and I. I am fortunate compared to most. I hope I can find some heaters for my grandmother and my friend. It’s going to be chilly at night now and they could get sick. I know my uncles will take care of my grandmother but they are in the Rockaways and if thats worse then here then I have to help them. We might get assistance by the end of the month but I can't think that far ahead. I just need to get through tonight and get ready for tomorrow, where I will get up at 5:30am and start over again. Keep us in your prayers and if you choose to help someone find out what they need and fed ex/ups it. They will get it from you before any government assistance will get there, and it will go directly to them. I love you all, God Bless you.

Sean Newman Long Beach, NY

Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

10 iPhone Apps for Preschoolers That Reinforce Letter Recognition

Learning the alphabet and memorizing the shapes and sounds that each letter makes is a big job for preschoolers, and is one that requires plenty of practice and a method of teaching that keeps kids engaged and excited to learn. The power that Apple’s wildly popular iPhone has to grasp kids’ attention and help them learn new skills through interactive apps and games make it a very valuable tool in any parent’s teaching repertoire. These 10 apps can help your child learn the letters of the alphabet, and provide an entertaining refresher course any time he’s in need.


  1. LetterRecognition – This $1.99 app focuses on helping your children learn to name random letters of the alphabet accurately and in a timely manner. The letters appear in both upper- and lower-case form, and in or out of alphabetical order to ensure that your little one is learning how to recognize each of them independently.
  2. Bogga Alphabet – Pre-reading preschoolers will love this interactive, virtual version of the same brightly-colored magnetized letters they already know and love. In addition to reinforcing kids’ ability to recognize letters, Bogga Alphabet also lets kids listen to audio pronunciations and practice their skills as a budding spelling bee champion by lining letters up to form short words.
  3. Little Writer – The Tracing App for Kids – By tracing the lines of each letter in the alphabet, kids are able to commit those shapes to memory and boost their ability to recognize those letters. This free app is customizable in order to suit a variety of skill levels and offers a reward system based upon correct responses. As an added bonus, you can record audio yourself so that every lesson your child learns is in your familiar voice.
  4. Alphabet Zoo – Designed by educators as an effective method of helping kids learn letter-sound association, this $0.99 app is a valuable tool in your arsenal when it comes to helping your child learn to recognize letters and build the skills he’ll need when he begins to read. Built around concepts that are embraced by the US Common Core curriculum standards for phonics and word recognition, this app is well worth the small investment it requires.

To read the rest of this article click here: http://www.gonannies.com/blog/2012/10-iphone-apps-for-preschoolers-that-reinforce-letter-recognition/#

Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Friday, October 19, 2012

30 Blogs That Focus on Kindergarten Readiness


Moving into kindergarten is a big step, whether your little one is coming from a public preschool, a private one or a home-based preschool program. As you make the transition to kindergarten, there are some basic skills that you’ll need to work on together before the big day arrives, along with some things you’ll need to consider as a parent. These 30 blogs are all about helping children master those skills before school starts, and helping you make the right decisions for him when the time rolls around.

Reading Fundamentals

By the time your child is ready to begin kindergarten, he should be able to recite the alphabet with few problems and be able to recognize letters independently. These skills make up the foundation of reading and writing, and are emphasized heavily in most curricula. In these five blog posts, you’ll find information on promoting these fundamental skills, along with tips and tricks to help your child master them.


Color Recognition

Having a basic understanding of shapes and colors is one of the primary building blocks of cognitive development, which is one of the reasons why most preschool and kindergarten programs emphasize it so heavily. The activities, ideas and advice offered in these five blog posts can put your little one on the fast track to memorizing the names and being able to recognize his colors.



Kathy Stemke's websites:
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Qualities that Make You a Good Teacher

Click here to read my article on Helium. It's 1/52 right now. http://www.helium.com/items/1785027-qualities-that-make-you-a-good-teacher

Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Monday, October 15, 2012

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

I'm a Finalist for the 2012 Literary Classics Book Awards!!


I'm thrilled to announce that "Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep" is a finalist in the 2012 Literary Classics Book awards. The winners will be announced on October 15th.To see the complete list of finalists for picture books and young adult books click here.here

Kathy Stemke's websites:
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

30 Blogs About Kindergarten Readiness

One of childhood’s major milestones is starting kindergarten. If you opted to forgo formal preschool in the interest of keeping your child at home for one last year, then his first year of school will also be his first year of experience with leaving home, a classroom environment and interacting with large groups of his peers. Thanks to the plethora of parenting and childcare blogs on the Internet, figuring out how to prepare your little one for his foray into the world of “big kid” school is as simple as clicking the mouse.

Entry Requirements
While the particular entry requirements of each kindergarten will vary from state to state and even from one school district to the next, there are some things that are so common as to be considered almost universal. These five blogs cover the typical entry requirements, and how you can make sure that you’re on the right track.
Vaccinations
Theories that vaccines cause everything from autism to asthma have spurred a growing number of new parents to eschew vaccines altogether. While this trendy new practice is gathering steam, many of these parents find themselves in an unforeseen pickle when their child’s kindergarten requires vaccination records. These five blogs handle the subject of vaccinations and kindergarten enrollment.
Fort the rest of this article go here.

Kathy's websites: Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites