Before the First Day
The classroom will be completely set up one week prior to class beginning. Sometime during that week, students and parents will come in one at a time to see the classroom and meet with me. The students will meet me for the first time, be able to see the room, and ask any questions. I will also explain what they will do on the first day when they arrive; hang up their coats, backpacks, etc, in their locker, follow the Lunchbox procedure, and then choose one of the activities I have laid out (coloring station, blocks, puzzles, kitchen set, car carpet). Parents will also fill out name tag for student with their bus number and parents name. I will show each child their locker and seat and practice the Lunchbox and Morning Work procedure. I will also be looking for parents who feel comfortable helping me on the first day. They will be helping by helping me with organization and/or working with students who did not have a parent come in with them.
The First Day
8:15- 8:30 students arrive with their parents. I will be outside my classroom welcoming everyone in. Just in case parents/students forget what to do, I will have the Entering the Classroom procedure posted right by the door.
8:31- 9:00 I will direct everyone over to the carpet squares (parents will be invited to sit/stand behind students. Each carpet square will have a name card on it, students are to find their name and sit. Once everyone is on their carpet, I will collect the name cards one by one, while saying each student’s name as they put their name into the bucket.
“Hello friends! My name is Ms. Hale. Welcome to class, I am so excited to work with all of you this year. I know we are going to have an amazing year. We are going to be doing a lot of fun things today so I need all of you to listen every carefully. If we listen and are on our best behavior today, then we will have an awesome first day!”
I will introduce students to the FabFive procedure and practice it a few times. (a visual will also be posted as a reminder). Then I will explain what we will do at our “Morning Meetings” each day. I will go through the calendar, school day count, lunch graph, and weather without helpers (classroom jobs will not be introduced on the first day, but will by end of first week).
Pull names out of the bucket and having students take turns standing up and singing:
Hello _______. Hello _______.
How are you? How are you?
Welcome to the first grade. (or Ms. Hale’s Class, or your new class, your new school, etc...)
We're so glad you came today.
Please sit down. Please sit down.
Briefly explain what we are going to be doing for the rest of the day. Be extra excited about the things we are going to do after the parents leave, so students feel less anxiety.
If at any point in the Moring Meeting students need to practice FabFive I will say “54321 your FabFive should be done” and go through each element.
9:01- 9:15 While still at the carpet, explain that we are going to make the name banner for their desk. Have white “banners”(white paper folded hotdog style) set up with students’ names already on them and decorating materials at each table. Explain to students that they are going to stand up, sit in the seat they find their names at. They can decorate their banner anyway they want, but because one of our rules is to anyways to our best and we will have these on our desks for a long time, we should do a really nice job. Students who finish early will begin filling out a “Things That Interest Me” survey.
9:16- 9:30 Students are to complete the “Things That Interest Me” survey with their parent/s. Students without parents can work with me or parent helpers.
8:31- 9:00 I will direct everyone over to the carpet squares (parents will be invited to sit/stand behind students. Each carpet square will have a name card on it, students are to find their name and sit. Once everyone is on their carpet, I will collect the name cards one by one, while saying each student’s name as they put their name into the bucket.
“Hello friends! My name is Ms. Hale. Welcome to class, I am so excited to work with all of you this year. I know we are going to have an amazing year. We are going to be doing a lot of fun things today so I need all of you to listen every carefully. If we listen and are on our best behavior today, then we will have an awesome first day!”
I will introduce students to the FabFive procedure and practice it a few times. (a visual will also be posted as a reminder). Then I will explain what we will do at our “Morning Meetings” each day. I will go through the calendar, school day count, lunch graph, and weather without helpers (classroom jobs will not be introduced on the first day, but will by end of first week).
Pull names out of the bucket and having students take turns standing up and singing:
Hello _______. Hello _______.
How are you? How are you?
Welcome to the first grade. (or Ms. Hale’s Class, or your new class, your new school, etc...)
We're so glad you came today.
Please sit down. Please sit down.
Briefly explain what we are going to be doing for the rest of the day. Be extra excited about the things we are going to do after the parents leave, so students feel less anxiety.
If at any point in the Moring Meeting students need to practice FabFive I will say “54321 your FabFive should be done” and go through each element.
9:01- 9:15 While still at the carpet, explain that we are going to make the name banner for their desk. Have white “banners”(white paper folded hotdog style) set up with students’ names already on them and decorating materials at each table. Explain to students that they are going to stand up, sit in the seat they find their names at. They can decorate their banner anyway they want, but because one of our rules is to anyways to our best and we will have these on our desks for a long time, we should do a really nice job. Students who finish early will begin filling out a “Things That Interest Me” survey.
9:16- 9:30 Students are to complete the “Things That Interest Me” survey with their parent/s. Students without parents can work with me or parent helpers.
9:16- 9:30 Students are to complete the “Things That Interest Me” survey with their parent/s. Students without parents can work with me or parent helpers.
9:31-9:55 Recess. To get to the playground we will have to learn how to walk in the hallway. Introduce and practice Lining Up and Walking In the Hallway procedures. Before setting students free, teach and practice getting their attention with the whistle. Students will have be allowed to play on playground and parents will be encouraged to hang back and let students interact. Parent helpers will help me at this time by cleaning up the decorating materials and putting out snack.
9:56- 10:00 blow whistle to get attention and have students get into a line. Remind them of the Lining Up and Walking In the Hallway procedures.
10:01- 10:15 have snack. I will play soft music in the background to help calm students.
10:16- 10:55 have students come back to the carpet but stand on their square.
Sing (to the tune of your happy and you know it)
It's the first day of school, give a clap. (clap, clap)
It's the first day of school, give a clap. (clap, clap)
It's time to sing and play,
And learn new things every day.
It's the first day of school, give a clap. (clap, clap)
It's the first day of school stomp your feet. (stomp, stomp)...
It's the first day of school, shout hooray! (hooray!)...
Read Don't Eat the Teacher! By Nick Ward. Talk about the bad things that the shark did in the book, and introduce our classroom rules. Explain what each rule is and how we follow it. I go over each of the rules, asking students to demonstrate what following them looks like, and what it would look like to not follow them. Explain that tomorrow I will start taking pictures of students who follow the rules to hang up on our behavior posters. Allow students to ask questions.
If there is time… Sing (to the tune of Ten Little Indians) again, pulling name cards from the bucket and having each student behind the easel.
Who's that hiding behind the easel?
Who's that hiding behind the easel?
Who's that hiding behind the easel?
Please tell us who you are.
(Hiding child jumps out) I'm __________.
Hello _______. It's nice to meet you.
Hello _______. It's nice to meet you.
Hello _______. It's nice to meet you.
Now please come join the class.
54321 FabFive should be done. Explain that parents are going to stay through lunch and then after we come back from recess it will just be us. Explain rest time after recess. Explain how lunch room works.
9:31-9:55 Recess. To get to the playground we will have to learn how to walk in the hallway. Introduce and practice Lining Up and Walking In the Hallway procedures. Before setting students free, teach and practice getting their attention with the whistle. Students will have be allowed to play on playground and parents will be encouraged to hang back and let students interact. Parent helpers will help me at this time by cleaning up the decorating materials and putting out snack.
9:56- 10:00 blow whistle to get attention and have students get into a line. Remind them of the Lining Up and Walking In the Hallway procedures.
10:01- 10:15 have snack. I will play soft music in the background to help calm students.
10:16- 10:55 have students come back to the carpet but stand on their square.
Sing (to the tune of your happy and you know it)
It's the first day of school, give a clap. (clap, clap)
It's the first day of school, give a clap. (clap, clap)
It's time to sing and play,
And learn new things every day.
It's the first day of school, give a clap. (clap, clap)
It's the first day of school stomp your feet. (stomp, stomp)...
It's the first day of school, shout hooray! (hooray!)...
Read Don't Eat the Teacher! By Nick Ward. Talk about the bad things that the shark did in the book, and introduce our classroom rules. Explain what each rule is and how we follow it. I go over each of the rules, asking students to demonstrate what following them looks like, and what it would look like to not follow them. Explain that tomorrow I will start taking pictures of students who follow the rules to hang up on our behavior posters. Allow students to ask questions.
If there is time… Sing (to the tune of Ten Little Indians) again, pulling name cards from the bucket and having each student behind the easel.
Who's that hiding behind the easel?
Who's that hiding behind the easel?
Who's that hiding behind the easel?
Please tell us who you are.
(Hiding child jumps out) I'm __________.
Hello _______. It's nice to meet you.
Hello _______. It's nice to meet you.
Hello _______. It's nice to meet you.
Now please come join the class.
54321 FabFive should be done. Explain that parents are going to stay through lunch and then after we come back from recess it will just be us. Explain rest time after recess. Explain how lunch room works.
10:56-11:00 get into line and walk to lunch room, again practicing procedures. Students who need hot lunch will go through the line.
11:01- 12:05 lunch and recess. I will eat my lunch at one of the tables and be around for recess. Parents will be leaving during this time, they can stay until the end of recess, but will not be coming back into the classroom after, unless they are helping me.
11:01- 12:05 lunch and recess. I will eat my lunch at one of the tables and be around for recess. Parents will be leaving during this time, they can stay until the end of recess, but will not be coming back into the classroom after, unless they are helping me.
12:05- 12:30 Stop at the bathroom on the way back from recess. Instruct students to go to the carpet when they enter the class. Explain what they will be able to do at this time each day; I want students to unwind after recess. I will be reading a story everyday and they will be allowed to do another quiet activity (coloring, puzzle, or reading). But that this is a quiet time. Read First Day Jitters by Julie Danneburg.
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12:31- 1:15 School tour. Tell students that it is time for the school tour. Explain how important it is to listen while we are in the school. Take students to different places in the school and explain what they will be doing in each one. Let them explore each area a little. I will have notified the librarian, secretary, computer teacher, etc. that we are coming, so they can meet and talk to students as well.
1:16-2:15 while we were gone, helpers have set up 4 centers. We will be spending 15 minutes at each.
- Flags- decorating the toilet paper rolls to use for the procedure later in the week. (red and green paint, bushes, aprons, cover for table) if students finish this early, they will be given puzzles and blocks to play with at the table.
- All About Ms. Hale- I will take one group at a time and tell students more about me. I will have pictures of my hobbies, pets, etc. They can ask me questions and I will also look at their interest surveys and see what we have in common to make personal connections.
- Free play- students begin building relationships with other students through play with the materials I have set out. These materials are going to come from the Busy Bags (see sponge activities). Students will be able to look through the bags to discover what types of things are in them and see which ones they like. This will enable students to choose which bag to use when they are instructed to do so.
- Reading- Par-pro will read David Goes to School By David Shannon.
1:16-2:15 while we were gone, helpers have set up 4 centers. We will be spending 15 minutes at each.
- Flags- decorating the toilet paper rolls to use for the procedure later in the week. (red and green paint, bushes, aprons, cover for table) if students finish this early, they will be given puzzles and blocks to play with at the table.
- All About Ms. Hale- I will take one group at a time and tell students more about me. I will have pictures of my hobbies, pets, etc. They can ask me questions and I will also look at their interest surveys and see what we have in common to make personal connections.
- Free play- students begin building relationships with other students through play with the materials I have set out. These materials are going to come from the Busy Bags (see sponge activities). Students will be able to look through the bags to discover what types of things are in them and see which ones they like. This will enable students to choose which bag to use when they are instructed to do so.
- Reading- Par-pro will read David Goes to School By David Shannon.
2:16- 2:26 At last rotation have parent helpers have the student help pick everything up before instructing the students to line up for a bathroom break.
2:27- 2:33 Before entering the classroom, instruct students to go to the carpet. Once everyone is at the carpet, have students show FabFive. Get out “Things That Interest Me” surveys, read little parts and have students stand if you are describing them. 2:34-2:36 Have all students stand and sing the first day of school song again. This will help to get the wiggles out. 2:37-3:00 Sit back down and show FabFive. Talk to students about what a wonderful day I have had. Explain that every day we end school with writing about what we have learned. Have students brainstorm about what some of their favorite things were and write them down. From those statements we will construct a few simple sentences about the day. Write down what students say on the easel. Allow students to write letters they know if they are willing. Student who don’t write on the easel can practice in the air. This is going to take some time, if it is taking too long, I will just write large chunks of the sentences… Read the class’ story aloud and then post on the wall. Explain procedure for going home. 3:00-3:15 get students ready for going home. Students name tags will have bus numbers. Have students line up by bus number and have one parent helper in charge of each number. |