First Day of School "Who is Mrs. Sullivan?" Make a book about yourself. Glue pictures of your family, pets, hobbies, etc. onto construction paper and then laminate. Use this book to introduce yourself to your new students. (This is also a great way to tell the children about your love of reading.) Read this book to the class on the first day. Then send the book home with a different child each day until every family has had an opportunity to read this book together. Your instructional assistant should make a book about herself too. You can even ask the kids to make books aout themselves with your help or the help of their parents. The Best I Can Be (Tune: My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean) My teacher says look when you listen. My teacher says please try to share. My teacher says walk in the hallways. When I do that I show her I care. I'm being, being, being the best I can be, can be! I'm being, being, being the best I can be! Friends share. Friends care. We need friends Everywhere! One the first day of school I introduce my rules and procedures. I have recently changed my rules to make them as simple to remember as possible. These are my new rules: Follow Directions. Respect Others. This book shows children how they should be be their "best self." I usually have the children act out "5 Little Monkeys" and "10 in a Bed" while I recite the poems inserting the children's names. (Instead of "One fell off and bumped his head," I say, "John fell off and bumped his head." I also say, "So they all rolled over and Julie fell out.") This helps us all learn each others' names. Hello Song (to the tune of Frere Jacques) Hello, Jane, hello, Jane How are you? How are you? We're so glad to have you, We're so glad to have you, Here at school, here at school. Name Sock Game Have the children stand in a circle. Pass the sock around the circle and have each child say their name. Then allow the children to throw the sock to anyonw they want. They should say, "Sam to Jon" before throwing. Allow the children to play for a while with just one sock. Once they get the hang of it, add another sock, so that there are two socks being throw to different people around the circle. If they do well with two socks, add a third sock. This idea comes from by Claudia E. Cornett. GLAD TO MEET YOU (Sing to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?") Glad to meet you, Glad to meet you, What's your name? What's your name? My name is Donna. My name is Donna. How are you? How are you? Ask the students to draw a picture telling about themselves and things they like. When they are finished allow each child a turn to tell the class about the picture. Check out these themes for the beginning of the year: Numbers Colors Shapes All About ME Fun with the ABCs We are different; we are the same Five Senses