Beginning Of The Year

4

Summer Vacation Matchup Lookingforanewwayforstudentstosharestoriesabouttheirsummervacations?ReadthebookHowISpentMySummerVacationbyMarkTeague(CrownBooksForYoungReaders)totheclass.Thenhaveeachstudentbrieflywriteonethinghedidoverthesummeronaslipofpaper.Typeeachchild’ssummerexperienceononesheetofpaper—leavingablankforthestudent’sname—andduplicateacopyforeachmemberoftheclass.Directeachchildtointerviewhispeerstomatcheachstudentwithanevent.Haveeachstudentaskthreequestionsineachinterview.Ifheisunabletomakeamatch,instructhimtomoveontothenextperson.Withthisactivity,everyonegetstotalkabouthissummervacation!

AndreaBayroff—Gr.5WashingtonSchoolWestfield,NJ

Goals For A Successful Year! Teamupwithbothparentsandstudentstosetgoalsfortheschoolyear.Afewweeksbeforeschoolstarts,maileachchildinyourincomingclassanews-lettertointroduceyourself.Intheletter,askeachstudenttosethergoalsfortheupcomingschoolyear.Duringthefirstweekofschool,haveeachstudentputhergoalsinwritingandsharethemwithherparents.Askparentstoaddtheirsetofgoalsfortheirchildandreturnthemtoschool.Onceyougettoknowthechildren,usebothliststohelpyouformafewgoalsforeachchildinyourclass.Useconferencetimetosharewithparentsyourstudents’progressto-wardreachingthosegoals,andtogetheryou’llmakeawinningteam!

JoAnnRobinson—Grs.3–4MarlboroughSchool,Marlborough,NH

My Goals For 4th GradeComplete my work on time.Study my spelling words.Read more library books.

Beginning Of The Year

5

Celebrating Birthdays Howwouldyouliketocombinemathandwritingwitheachstu-dent’sbirthday?Beforethefirstdayofschool,drawablankgraphonbulletin-boardpaper;thenlabelthebottomofthegraphwiththemonthsoftheschoolyearasshown.Staplethegraphtoabulletinboardandcovertheremainingspacewithbirthdaygiftwrap.Then,onthefirstdayofschool,giveeachchildacupcakepatternfrompage145andhavehimwritehisnameandthedateofhisbirthday,excludingthemonth.AssignaJunebirthdaytoanystudentwhosebirthdayfallsduringthesummer.Reviewbargraphswithyourclass.Thendirecteachstudenttoposthiscupcakeonthebulletin-boardgraphabovethemonthinwhichhewasborn. Oneachchild’sbirthday,havehisclassmateseachwriteafriendlylettertothestudentwishinghimahappybirthday.Suggestthatthelettersalsomentionthewaysinwhichthisstudentisspecial.Presenttheletterstothebirthdaychildinalargecolorfulenvelope.Studentswillgohomefeelingextraspecialwhentheycarrythesebirthdaylet-tersfromtheirclassmates!

JoAnnRobinson—Grs.3–4MarlboroughSchool,Marlborough,NH

Walk A Mile In My Shoes Helpstudentsrecognizeandappreciatethedifferencesinoneanotherwiththisbeginning-of-the-yearactivity.Ashomeworkonthefirstdayofschool,askeachstudenttobringinashoethatrepresentshimselfinsomeway.Thenextday,haveeachstudentfilloutatagfortheshoeusingthepatternduplicatedfrompage145.Thengiveeachchildalengthofstring.Havehimusethestringtoattachhiscompletedtagtohisshoe.Displaythetaggedshoesintheclassroom.Createadisplaythatisevenmoreinterestingbyinvitingtheprinci-palandotherimportantpeoplearoundtheschooltoaddtheirshoestoit!

MiriamBecker—Gr.5DuJardinElementaryBloomingdale,IL

Name:

Personality Traits:

Goals:

Concerns:

Things That Make Me Happy:

Pet Peeves:

John Reynolds

Jan. Feb. March April

30Sheila

6Alan

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Beginning Of The Year

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They Ought To Be In Pictures! GetthefilmrollingonanewyearwiththisspectacularOpenHouseidea!Createavideotapeofallthestudentactivitiesandprojectsgoingoninyourclassroom—startingwiththefirstdayofschool.OnthenightofOpenHouse,setupaVCRandtelevisioninyourclassroomsothatparentscanviewthetapewhiletheyarewaitingtospeakwithyou.You’lldiscoverthatpicturesareworthathousandwords!

KimberlyMcCormick—Gr.6,WilmingtonAreaMiddleSchool,NewWilmington,PA

Computers To The Rescue Doyouhavetoomuchtorememberduringtheopeningdaysofeachschoolyear?Justsavethelessonplanyouuseonthefirstdayofschoolalongwithyourbeginning-of-the-yearto-dolistonyourcomputer.Theneachyearsimplyopenthesedocu-mentstoadd,delete,ormakechangesinthemasnecessary.Whatatime-saver!

SusanJohnsonSteinerRanchElementaryAustin,TX

USA32FREEDOM OF CONSCIEN

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Mr. & Mrs. Wallace1 North St.Ellis, PA 17345

Mrs. MendelParker Elementary School124 Santos WayEllis, PA 17345

To-Do ListFor The First Day Of School

Noteworthy News Shortenthetimeittakestosendpositivenoteshometoparents.Simplyaddtwoself-addressed,stampedenvelopestoeachstudent’ssupplylistatthebeginningoftheyear.Afteralloftheenvelopesarein,alloweachstudenttodecoratethebacksofhisenvelopesusingmarkers,stickers,etc.Then,onceduringeachsemester,writeapositivenotetoeachstudent’sparents.Mailthenoteinsideoneoftheenvelopespersonalizedbythatstudent.Parentsandstudentswillglowwhentheyseethecolorfulenvelopesbeingdeliveredtotheirhomes!

SandiNorton—Gr.4ValleySpringsElementaryValleySprings,AR

Beginning Of The Year

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Postcard Photo Albums Howwouldyouliketostarttheyearwithahandysocialstudiesresourcethatrequireslittleefforttocreate?Requestthateachchildaddapostcard,apicture,orabrochurefromanyplaceinthecountrythathevisitedoverthesummertohisschoolsupplylist.Thenar-rangeallofthemementosinaphotoalbumtobeenjoyedthroughouttheyear.Refertothepostcardalbumduringrelevantsocialstudieslessonstomakethisyear’sstudyofgeographyreallytouchhome!

MarianStearns—Grs.4–5OlympicViewElementaryOlympia,WA

Note The Quote Createabulletinboardthatstudentswillreallytakenoteofonthefirstdayofschool.Duplicateonemorethanaclasssupplyofthenotepatternonpage146.Printthefollowingquoteontheextranote:“Lifeislikeapiano.Whatyougetoutofitde-pendsonhowyouplayit.”Postapictureofapianoonabulletinboardtitled“NoteTheQuote.”Staplethenotewiththequotewrittenonittotheboard.Thenhostaclassdiscussionaboutthemeaningofthequote. Nextassigneachstudentadifferentdayonwhichtopresentasimilarquotetotheclass.Onhisassigneddayhavehimwritehisquoteononeofthemusic-notepatterns,explainitsmeaning,andthenaddittothebulletinboard.Whenallofthequoteshavebeenadded,yourclasswillhaveheardquiteafewnotesofwisdom!

MalkyMandelbaum—Gr.6BethJacobofBoroParkSchoolBrooklyn,NY

MONTANA

COLUMBUS

MIAMI BEACH

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Come playin the sun!

Note The Quote

Beginning Of The Year

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Handy Border LookingforawaytokeepstudentsbusywhileyoutalkwiththeirparentsatOpenHouse?Thishands-onactivitywilldothetrick!Setupasmalltablewithsheetsofcoloredconstructionpaper,markers,scissors,andanemptyboxonit.Alsoin-cludeinstructionsthatdirecteachstudenttotracehishandsontotheconstructionpaper,cutoutthetracings,andthenplacethecutoutsinsidetheboxonthetablewhenhefinishes.Usethehandcutoutstocreateaborderforabulletinboardonwhichyoufeaturestudents’work.

DoloresPatino—Grs.4–5St.GregoryTheGreatSchool,SanAntonio,TX

Postcard Icebreaker Getaheadstartonplanningyourfirst-dayicebreakerduringyoursummervacation!Duringyoursum-mertravels,collectpicturepostcardsfromtheplacesyouvisit—onepostcardforeachstudentinyourup-comingclass.Assoonasyoureceiveyourclasslist,maileachstudentoneofthesepostcards.Inyourmes-sageinvitethestudentstoafun-filledyearoflearning,brieflytellaboutyourself,andinstructeachstudenttobringthecardtoschoolwithheronthefirstday.Then,onthatfirstday,discusswhoreceivedidenticalpostcards,whetheranyoneintheclasshasevervisitedthelocationonherpostcard,and,ifso,whatitwaslikethere.Nexthaveeachstudentshareoneortwofactsthatshelearnedfromherpostcard—aboutyouortheplaceyouvisited.Studentswillenjoylearningabouttheirnewteacherastheygettoknowoneanother!

MiriamBecker—Gr.5,DuJardinElementary,Bloomingdale,IL

Tickled Pink Startthenewschoolyearwithlettersthatwillelicithappygigglesfromyourstudents!Attachonefeathertoasheetofdecorativepinkpaperforeachstudentinyourclass.Onthepaper,writealettertoeachstudenttellingherthatyouare“tickledpink”thatsheisinyourclass.Mailthelettersbeforeschoolstartstoletstudentsknowhowexcitedyouareabouttheupcomingyear!

DavidReitz—Gr.4GlenwoodElementaryVirginiaBeach,VA

Dear Stephanie,

I’m “tickled pink” that you

are in my class this year. I

look forward to meeting you.

Your new teacher,

Mr. Reitz

Beginning Of The Year

9

Brown-Bag Breakfast Lookingforawaytomakenewstudentsfeelwelcome?Afewdaysbeforeschoolstarts,inviteanynewchildrentotheschoolforasimplebreakfastofmuffins,juice,andmilk.Aftereating,takethestudentsonatourofthebuildingandallowthemtobrowseinyourclassroom.Studentswillsoonfeelrightathomeintheirnewschool!

RosemaryLinden—Gr.4,RoyalValleyElementary,Hoyt,KS

VIP Of The Week Makeheadlinesontheveryfirstdayofschoolwiththisbulletin-boardidea!Coverabulletinboardwithnewspaperandtitleit“[yourschool]VIPOfTheWeek.”Filltheboardwithpicturesofyourselfandafewofyourpersonalbelongings.Writeinformationaboutyourselfandpostitonthebulletinboardinthefollowingcategories:family,growingup,futuregoals,hobbies,favorites,etc.Whenstudentsarrivethefirstday,discussthedis-playindetail.Thenassigneachchildaweekoftheyearduringwhichheisresponsibleforcreatingadisplaythatfeatureshimself.Studentswilllearnallabouttheirclassmates—andfeellikeVIPs—duringtheirdesignatedweeks!

KatrinaSears—Gr.6SussexCentralMiddleSchool,Georgetown,DE

It’s All On A Name Usethisget-to-know-youactivityasatimefillerduringthefirstfewdaysofschool.Giveeachstudentalargesheetofconstructionpaper.Havehimwritehisnameinblocklet-ters,largeenoughtofillthepaper.Alongthesidesofeachletter,instructthestudenttowritesentencesthatdescribehimselfasshown.Thendisplayallofthenamesforclassmatestoread!

SusanJohnsonSteinerRanchElementaryAustin,TX

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VIP Of The WeekFamily

Goals Favorites

Growing up Hobbies