Ahhhh... the first day of kindergarten!! Its such an exciting day, but also an exhausting day! But what do you plan for that day? So many things you are excited to do with your students, but you have to remember its the first day and keep it all in perspective!
One of the things I focus on the first week of school is procedures and relationships. I think both of these are the two most crucial things to help have a successful year in the classroom. At my school our first week starts on a Wednesday (late start day), so it is nice for the kids to be eased in with a three day school week. Below is what the first week in kindergarten in my class looks like!
Wednesday- First Day of School
8:40-9:30: Student arrival. Help each student unpack and put away snack. Students then come into the classroom where they find their crate seat and color a 1st day of Kindergarten coloring sheet. When they finish they can choose 1 of the activities that is on the carpet (pattern blocks, lacing, etc.). While they are doing this my assistant (yes i am so thankful for her... she is AMAZING) calls the students over 1 at a time to take 2 pictures (1st day of Kindergarten picture and Hello my name is...)
Coloring sheet I use from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Josies-Place
9:30-10:30: Teach call and response (clap hands and have students repeat and look). Clean up and bring students to carpet. Teach carpet rules. Pray together. Go over classroom rules poster and movements. Brain break "Boom Chicka Boom". Introduce good morning song "Today's Gonna Be a Good Day" (I will post a video of this soon once my kiddos have learned all the words). Calendar time. Read: First Day Jitters and create an anchor chart on how everyone was feeling on this 1st day. Then allow students to make their own page for our class book.
To download rules picture clip here: Rules Poster
Here is the template I use for our First Day Feelings Class book create by http://www.onceuponalearningadventure.com/
10:30-10:45: Teach walking in hallway procedures and bathroom procedures and take a class bathroom break.
10:50-11:00: Take a tour of the lunchroom and teach procedures. Then go into the hallway to pray.
11:00-11:30: Lunch
11:35-12:00: Teach rest time procedures, then rest.
12:00-12:45: PE
12:00-12:45: PE
1:00-1:25: Show PowerPoint of recess rules and have a bathroom break
To download playground safety with Pete the Cat click here: Pete the Cat Playground Safety
1:30-2:10: Recess
2:15-2:40: Snack on the carpet and watch "God Thought of it First" and discuss how God thought of everything, how he created us, and we can find something special in everyone. Introduce and allow students to make 1st day of Kindergarten hat together.
Here are the hats we made from http://aspoonfuloflearning.blogspot.com/
2:40-2:50: Closing circle- what was your favorite thing about today? Review "Todays Gonna Be a Good Day". Then give out special snack, book, sticker, and all about me bags.
2:50: Dismissal
If you wish to download the first day of school booklet to send home here it is: First Day of School card
Here is what I use for the "All About Me Bags"
Thursday
7:45-8:15: Help students to unpack independently. Teach sign in. Students then can choose a table activity. While they are coming in my wonderful assistant will take birthday pictures for our birthday wall.
Here is our sign-in activities for the year
8:15-9:30: Review clapping call-and-response. Teach flat tire (T: "Flat Tire" S: "Shhhhh"). Clean up and come to carpet and review carpet rules and classroom rules with motions. Pray together. Sing "Today's Gonna Be a Good Day". Calendar time. Brain break: Go Noodle "PopSeKo". Read: The Kissing Hand. Then break out in 2 rotations. (1st rotation with my assistant: Roll and Cover Game and ABC game. 2nd rotation with me: cut and paste and kissing hand booklet)
Here is the Roll-and-Cover game I am using from: Herding Kats in Kindergarten
Here is the alphabet game:
9:30-9:50: Classroom tour with Chester Raccoon clues (at the end Chester leaves the class a special treat in the treasure box)
To download the clues left behind by Chester Raccoon for our "room tour" click here: Room Tour with Chester Raccoon
9:50-10:00: Bathroom break
10:15-11:00: SOL (STEAM, Outdoor learning, and library)
10:15-11:00: SOL (STEAM, Outdoor learning, and library)
11:00-11:30: Lunch
11:35-12:00: Rest
12:00-12:45: Culinary
12:00-12:45: Culinary
12:55-1:30: Read: Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes and use clues to go on a school tour with the other 2 kindergarten classes to find all of Pete's lost shoes. Here is where we introduce them to all our specials teachers.
To download Pete the Cat's School tour click here: Pete the Cat's school tour
1:35-2:15: Recess
2:20-2:40: Snack on carpet. Introduce what a self portrait is. Explain that in kindergarten we use 3 or more colors in all our drawings. Allow students to make a self portrait of themselves (I save these till the end of the year).
Here are the papers I use for beginning of the year/end of the year self portraits by: Primary Delight
Devotion: show an un-sharpened pencil. Ask if you could write/draw with this? No! Then explain that this is what life with God would be like "no point". When we ask Jesus in our lives he gives us a purpose "a point" Our point is to love God and love others. Practice "Today's Gonna Be a Good Day".
2:40-2:50: Closing circle: What was your favorite part of today? Remind students tomorrow is spirit day (our kids wear uniform Monday-Thursday and on Friday they can wear school spirit wear).
2:50: Dismissal
Friday
7:45-8:15: Allow students to unpack themselves, sign in, and choose a table activity.
8:15-8:50: Review clapping and flat tire call-and-response. Teach: (T: "Macaroni Cheese" S: "Everybody freeze"). Clean up. Come to carpet and review carpet/classroom rules. Pray together. Play butterfly game. Do calendar. Sing "Today's Gonna Be a Good Day". Students go to their seat to their seat and color their own rules book.
8:50-9:00: Bathroom break
9:00-9:25: Read: Bucket Filler, then make an anchor chart on Bucket Fillers and Bucket Dippers, last do a class sort.
9:25-9:40: Have students copy a sentence off the board (this is something I save till the end of the year to compare their writing). Sentence to write: "This is the first week of school."
9:40-10:15: Introduce Class Pledge activity and allow students to create themselves (this is something we leave in the hallway all year).
10:15-11:00: Bible
11:00-11:30: Lunch
11:35-12:00: Rest
12:00-12:45: Spanish
1:00-1:25: Finish class pledge and then introduce free centers
1:30-2:10: Recess
2:15-2:40: Snack on carpet. Devotion: hold up a box of crayons. Ask the kids what it would be like if all crayons were brown? Green? etc? We need all colors to make a pretty picture. Just like God made us all different. Altogether we make something beautiful. Draw a rainbow on the board with one color and then all different colors. Compare/Contrast the two. Sing "Today's Gonna be a Good Day". Treasure box (I always do treasure box for EVERYONE on Friday).
2:40-2:50: Closing circle: What was your favorite thing about Kindergarten this week?
2:50: Dismissal
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