A Magical First Week!
We finally had our first week of school! It was exciting to welcome our new class. We enjoyed a one-hour orientation on Tuesday. During this time I read aloud the book, Our Class Is a Family. This beautiful b0ok shares how a family isn’t just your relatives, a family is anyone who accepts you for who you are! We then took a few minutes to introduce ourselves. Each student held a magic Energy Stick when they shared their name. The stick made a little buzzing sound or lit up for a second when each student held it. I then had the students hold hands. I held one end of the stick and a student held the other end. Watch what happens when we work together!
The next day, students returned to campus for their first full day! On their tables were trays with magic beads to make a bracelet. (UV Beads and Chenille Pipe Cleaners
I found this cute idea on TPT: Magic Bracelets. Included in the lesson is a sweet poem:
So once the students made their bracelets, we headed outside to see if the beads would change colors.
Our beads changed color, so three cheers for a magical year!
This week, students also were introduced to our play-doh tubs. Play-doh is a great way to strengthen the fine motor muscles needed to write, color, and even cut! (Play Doh, Extruders)
Then we had our first Friday Fun of the year! They painted a special project that families will receive on Back to School Night as well as did a Pokey Pin of their name. Students enjoyed the listening center for the first time this year, and they did a sticky, gooey craft project with me based on the book Elmer the patchwork elephant.
Elmer the elephant is bright-colored patchwork all over. No wonder the other elephants laugh at him!
If he were ordinary elephant color, the others might stop laughing. That would make Elmer feel better, wouldn’t it? David McKee’s comical fable about everyone’s favorite patchwork elephant teaches readers to be themselves and celebrates the power of laughter.”
For part one of this project, students used tissue paper squares and glue to make a beautiful patchwork background.
Later in the day, we did a self-portrait directed drawing activity using just white card stock and a pencil. After their drawings were completed, students used a Sharpie to trace over their lines.
I just love the finished product!
This week, we will continue building our classroom community as well as start our Literacy Centers. Students also will engage in Morning Exploring tubs and our new math curriculum. Stay tuned for more….
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