First week of Kindergarten

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

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

Here is a picture of our birthday wall: 

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) 

11:00-11:30: Lunch

11:35-12:00: Rest

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 

Meet the Teacher

I cannot believe it is that time but tomorrow is Meet the Teacher at our school!!!! I absolutely LOVE Meet the Teacher. I love meeting my kids and their families.

I'm no expert, and I know there are a million and one ideas out there for Meet the Teacher, but I thought I would share a few tips and tricks that work well for me.

When students and families walk into my classroom for Meet the Teacher their tables are all set up (name tag, papers, and gift) and I have a huge smile on my face. I love getting to see their faces for the first time when they walk into my classroom.

Let's talk about whats on their tables first:

I always put students name tags on their tables during Meet the Teacher. This gives them a central location for all their paperwork and I can easily spot who has not shown up yet. Also on the first day of school they already know where their "spot" is to sit. Even though I do change them up after the first week of school. 

Here is a picture of their tables with all the things:

The first thing students have at their table is a scavenger hunt. This helps them get familiar with some things in the classroom before the 1st day of school. Next I supply an August calendar for families to use, since we all know how hectic and busy the month of August is! Next is a first-day info sheet that reminds the parents of things they need to know to get through the first week such as specials schedule, lunch time, snack, etc. Right behind that is  snack sheet about recommend "non-messy" snacks to send in each day. I also always have a little gift for my students, lucky charms, with a cute little tag for them to munch on. Next is a little bio about me for families to get to know me as well as a little bio sheet for parents to take home and send back in to fill out about their child. One more very important thing I always have parents fill out before they leave is how their child will be getting home on that first day of school. Last, I leave a QR code of myself reading The Night Before Kindergarten to my students for them to listen to before coming to school as well as a stapled shut card with kindergarten confetti to put under their pillow on the night before kindergarten. 

Here is a picture of my Smart board with basic contact information that parents can take a picture of and keep:

To download/edit the scavenger hunt I use click here: Scavenger Hunt

To download/edit the August calendar I give to families click here: August Calendar

To download my snacks sheet click here: Snack Sheet

To download/edit First Day Info Sheet click here: First Day Info Sheet

To download these tags for my Lucky Charms gift to students click here: Lucky Charms Gift

To download Teacher/Student bio click here: Teacher Bio/Student Bio

To download/edit my transportation sheet click here: First Day Transportation Form

To download/edit this document where you can create a QR code of you reading The Night Before Kindergarten to your class click this link: Night Before Kindergarten

Last is my little card that I staple shut with confetti inside for students to read, open, and sprinkle under their pillow with their parents on the night before kindergarten: Night Before School

Like I said, I know there are a million and one ideas out there but I hope that some of these ideas were helpful to you! 

Summer Reading

Like I have said before one of my favorite things to do during the summer is READ! In our house during the summer, the TV goes off and books get read. I wish I could say the same the other 9 months of the year, but for some reason this is one of the things that makes summer so special in our house. I also think it sets such a great example for our children for them to see mom and dad reading in the evenings instead of being on phones, watching TV, etc. Here are the books that I have read this summer: 

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah- With courage, grace, and powerful insight, Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of word War II and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the Women's War. It was a fabulous book (even my husband is reading it now..shhhh) and turning into a movie soon!

  

Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks- this was an emotionally powerful story about a father and his daughter filled with unconditional love, challenges its risks, and most of all rewards. Coincidentally, I finished this book on Fathers Day weekend! Reminded my how thankful I am for my father and my husband.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult- in this book Jodi tackles the profoundly challenging yet essential concerns of our time: pride, prejudice, race, and justice. 

After attending the GYTO National Conference I picked up Rachel Hollis' new book Girl Stop Apologizing and it was just as good, if not better than Girl Wash Your Face. Rachel does an amazing job at encouraging women of all ages, and all walks of life, to discover how to "sell the sizzle"and view themselves as powerful and worthy assets, just like the product, service, or business they are working hard to promote. Through the book she provides six no-nonsense yet essential behaviors and skills that have helped her succeed beyond her wildest dreams, not only in the professional word, but also in her personal life Believing wholeheartedly in what you have to offer and doing so without apology! 

I now on the regular listen to Rachel Hollis' podcast called Rise as well as her and her husband', Dave, combined podcast called Rise Together. Some may ask "Sarah, how do you have time to listen to a podcast?" In the past I would tell you simply, that I don't, because my commute to work is a whopping  5 minutes (if that) and the rest of the day is full of little children. However, one thing that I learned while reading Rachel's book is to make time for yourself for what is important. From her book I now wake up a full hour before my children do, yes even during the summer, for some "me time". During this time I either exercise, blog, work, or do some personal development. I have loved this practice that I have put into place in the summer because it makes me a better mama and wife!

Anyways thats it for now! Hope you choose to pick up one of these great reads! Happy Reading!!