First Week of School Plans

Our classroom in 5K!

Introduction
Welcome students and parents to the first week of school! I'm very excited to get to know all you! This is my first year at Pine Hill but my 6th year teaching. I can't wait to dive in. It's going to be a great year in 5K.

Students, if you're like me, I bet right now you're a crazy combination of excited, eager, nervous, and anxious. The first days of school can bring on a jumble of emotions. Don't worry! We'll get to know each other and I promise to be nice. I'll also try not to tell any ridiculous jokes, be sarcastic, or sing...for now. I'll save all of that for the second week ;)

Parents and students, to get to know me better, you can read my Philosophy of Education, which explains my vision for the classroom. You can also learn more about me as a person on my All About Me page.

About the Teacher Plans Page
Every weekend (except over breaks), I update the Teacher Plans Page with an outline of what I plan to do the upcoming week. I also write about some highlights from the previous week of school. I structure the Teacher Plans Page by breaking down my plans into the following five categories:

• Highlights from Last Week
  
• Special (special events, field trips, and activities)
• Reading
  
• Writing
• Math
  
• Science or Social Studies

I usually describe my goals for each subject and the major activities and lessons we'll be doing under each category.

This Week's Plan
Since this is our first week, we'll be working on some team building activities and classroom explorations to get acquainted with how the year will run. This first week's plan is longer than normal. The plans will definitely become more succinct as the year progresses!

Special: 
The launch of the school year is filled with many fun activities:

• Getting to Know You --We'll be sharing all about ourselves, from our favorite summer memories to our favorite hobbies to our favorite colors through writing, art, and social activities.
  
• Procedures Overview and Practice --We'll practice walking quietly in the hallways, quieting down quickly, coming to the rug, using classroom materials respectfully, and so on.
  
• Hopes and Goals --Student will write about what they hope for and want to accomplish socially and academically this year.
• Group Skills  --Explicit practice in the art of working with other people. We'll focus on listening, compromising, and non-verbal communication. These skills are essential for the partner work and team projects we do throughout the year.
  
• Recess Games --At recess we'll be playing class games such as Zombie tag, Capture the Flag, and Captain's Coming. We'll focus on how to be fair, inclusive, safe, and good sports.

Reading:
Reading is very important in my classroom. I want students to find books at their level that they love.

• Launching Reading Workshop --We'll dive into reading and learn what makes us strong readers. We'll learn some strategies for improving our independent reading.
• Find a "Just Right" Book --We'll learn how to find books that are just right for us. Students will then explore my classroom library and choose a good book to read independently.  
  
• Teacher Read Aloud --I will model how I think while I read. I will also preview some books for students by reading aloud the first chapter.
  
• Informal and formal assessments --While students independently read, I will float around the room and ask individual students to read aloud for me so I can learn more about each of them as readers.

Writing:
I love to teach writing. I know it can be challenging for many students, but I'll break it down into easy strategies.

• Storytelling to Start --Our first piece of writing is just a sample so that I can see where students are at. We'll practice a strategy called, "Storytelling," where students tell a partner about an experience to help get the order of events straight before writing.
• Generating Ideas --We'll learn some strategies for conquering the blank page. Students will learn how to think of people, places, and turning points and list them in a special place that they can always return to.
• Decorate the Writing Journal --A customized journal is a great inspiration! I'll provide students with materials and ideas for decorating their journals. They may need to finish at home.

Math:
I hope all students will love math just as much as I do.

• Multiplication Review --To make sure students start fifth grade off right, we'll review our basic multiplication facts through 12x12. We'll play Multiplication Bingo and students will have the option to take some timed 50 facts tests.
• Explore Math Resources --Students will explore the Everyday Math Student Reference Book through a scavenger hunt, then I will model how to use some of our math materials such as calculators, dice, and cards. 
• Following Directions --We'll play an activity to teach us the importance of following directions.
• Factors and Arrays --We'll learn what a factor is and how to make an array to represent multiplication.

Science/Social Studies:
This week we hold off on Science and Social Studies to focus on launching reading, writing, and math. 


Thanks for Reading!
So that's the plan for the first week of school. Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or concerns. I look forward to meeting you all!

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