We all have routines. The night before the first day of school I pick out my outfit and try to pack as much as my girls’ lunches as possible before I go to bed.  I make sure my battery is charged in my camera. And then I lie in bed wide awake, going over the schedule of events for the following day. Every first day of school, I blast a certain song as loud as possible on my drive to school, and when I arrive, I wait outside my classroom for each new student to make a grand entrance. Then I snap their official first day photo. And hugs…. There are lots of hugs.

Kindergarten is all about learning routines and encouraging the children to become independent, confident students. There is a place for them to put their backpacks and a place for them to put the folders and books they have unpacked. There is a routine to the school day that students are quick to learn and appreciate.

This next week will be spent introducing these routines to the students and making our learning community a place where they feel supported and comfortable. With this positive community, amazing things will happen!

Balance is also an important part of this next week. Balancing fun with learning takes the highest priority. But before the differentiated learning can take place, I need to get a solid understanding of who each student is, from where they have come, and their social and academic needs. In between attending Specialist classes and participating in Home Room activities, students will be pulled aside to spend some time with me. I will prepare formal reading and math assessments for each student with the goal of beginning reading groups and math centers by next week. We have 165 days (give or take a few) of learning, and I plan to make the most of them. So while it may appear that we are having more “fun” than “learning” these next several days, please know that I am diligently working to create a program that best fits the specific needs of each child.

Today when your child arrives home, you will find a puzzle in his/her backpack.

As you work to put this puzzle together, it is my hope that your child will share about our day. Ask which Specialist classes we attended. (Spanish, Lego, and Art!) Ask what was the best part of the day. Most importantly, enjoy this special time together.