Hey there.. It's time for Back to School.. yes.. we know - we don't want to think about going back to school. I know that some of you have been back already for a few weeks, but here in New York we start Sept. 1st. This summer has gone by way to fast for me... but reality is.. it's over and school starts next week.
SO in honor of Back to School the Primary Pack is throwing a BIG BASH! We are giving away a CAMEO!
This BLOG Hop is going to be fun.. and It's EASY!
To enter our BIG giveaway, you need to head over to
THE PRIMARY PACK first! As you "hop" through each of our blogs, you will collect a letter from each of us… 28 total. Those letters spell out a secret code that you need to enter our BIG giveaway! You will use the secret code to enter the rafflecopter on The Primary Pack at the end of the hop.
You need to collect the letters from us IN ORDER, so please make sure that you start from the beginning of our hop. Click on the button below to head over to
THE PRIMARY PACK and start our
BACK TO SCHOOL BASH!!
Join us and Hop along with our other Primary Pack friends and you will get:
3 Tips for Back to School
2 Giveaways
1 FREEBIE for Back to School
Not only be able to get freebies and other fun prizes along the way - but you will also have a chance to WIN your very own CAMEO. Be sure to COLLECT the letter at the bottom or every blog post and you will spell out the MYSTERY word that you will need to enter to win the big prize.
Our hop is a 3…2…1… BACK TO SCHOOL BASH because each member of The Primary Pack will be giving you 3 teacher tips, 2 giveaways (one on each of our blogs and one BIG one on the Primary Pack), and 1 freebie!
Be prepared for the first week by decorating your classroom and setting up desks before the first day.
You should make name tags, locker tags, and your classroom library set up. Be sure to laminate your tags and book bin labels so they last longer. I love to use bright colors and often decorate my classroom with a theme. If you don't have a theme, then try to use color as your theme. Last year I decorate my classroom with black and neon colors. Here is just a sneak peek.
Welcome your students by giving them a small treat or gift on the first day. I love to see my student's face light up when they walk in and find their "treat" on their desk. It makes them feel WELCOME and excited to start a new year in my classroom. If you give them a snack, then it also takes care of making sure no one's tummy is grumbling on the first day.
I also like to give WELCOME Back Gifts to the office secretaries, principal and my teammates or support staff.
It's the perfect way to start the year off on a positive note and let them know that you are appreciative of the role they play in your school or classroom.
FIRST WEEK Plans.. Well after 21 years of teaching I have found that I always over plan for that first WEEK back to school.
SO my TIP is to be prepared and plan enough but do not over plan.
Teaching routines and procedures that first week will take longer than you think. I also suggest taking the time to play an easy game EVERY day that first week to help students get to know each other. You will learn a lot just by watching the students interact during the game.
My two favorite games to play that first week are:
Guess a Fib
Students need to tell the class 3 things about themselves. TWO things are true and the other clue is a FIB. The class has to guess which one was the FIB. You play this game until all students have a turn.
Friend Finder
So now the FUN part.. Write down this LETTER and be sure to SAVE it so you can ENTER the Mystery Word at the end of the HOP. We hope you get some GREAT TIPS for Back to School along the way! Wishing you a wonderful school year!!!
Click on the letter O or on Mrs. Thomas's blog button to go directly to the next blog in this fun back to school mystery letter hop!
Click on the link below.
mrsthomaskinder back-to-school-blog-hop.
