1st Day Highlights!

Wow! "What a long day!" Most kids said today somewhere between 10:00am and 3:35pm at dismissal. This transition between kindergarten and first grade is always so hard for these sweet 6 year olds. I was quite pleased with how they did today! At the end of the day I asked students to tell me what they wanted me to write about their favorite parts of the day. Here they are:

"Recess"
"Lunch"
"My favorite part was lunch."
"Snack"
"I like cubbies."
"My favorite thing is recess."
"My favorite thing is lunch."
"Read"
"I liked math."
"I love eating lunch."
"I like doing the calendar."
"I like everything."
"I liked lunch."
"I liked doing lunch."
"I liked free choice."
"I like eating at school."
"Recess"
"I like the cafeteria."

Their favorite parts mostly consisted of eating, but that's ok with me as I like eating and think it's important! It will be fun to see how favorite highlights soon become reading, writing, math, friends, science etc. It won't be long! Thanks for sharing your precious children with me each day. I just know we're off to a great start for a wonderful year! - Mrs. Bowers

Our First Day!

Whew! We were busy today in room 4. Today was filled with so many routines, morning work, 3 read-alouds, 3 recesses, lunch, music, writing, choice time, friendship salad for snack, a class web exercise and a school tour. Your children were troopers! I was amazed at how well they did. The first day is tough, but so are the next two.

A few fun/silly facts:
- First student to ask about recess: 8:30
- First student to ask about lunch: 9:00
- First student to ask about going home: 10:30

*The reason these make me giggle is because I expect them to ask. Your sweet children just came off of summer break and before that, they were only in school for half a day. This transition to a longer day is so difficult, but it will get better each day. (I was hungry, too!)

Here are my favorite parts of our day:
- ALL students worked hard and had smiles on their faces!
- I learned that several kids also like chocolate chip cookies like me! :)
- I heard about their favorite summer activities.
- How excited the students were about our Friendship Salad!
- Starting to learn more about each student.

Here are what the students said when I asked them, "What was your favorite part of your first day of first grade?"

“Having lunch.”

“Having friends.”

“My favorite thing was recess.”

“My favorite part was having lunch.”

“My favorite thing was recess.”

“I liked playing toys.”

“Playing.”

“The whole thing.”

“I liked music class.”

“I liked recess.”

“Lunch.”

“Recess.”

“Snack.”

“Snack.”

“My favorite part of the day is when we were playing on the purple play structure.”

“Choice.”

“My favorite thing was recess.’

“I liked snack and lunch.”

Thank you parents for sharing your children with me. We are going to have a fantastic year!

A Few Of My Favorite Days

Today: For the past week and a half I've been anxious and excited about today. The day I would finally be able to get back into our classroom! I look so forward to this day all summer long. I get to return to our classroom where the floors are freshly waxed and shiny! I bring in armfuls of school supplies, garage sale finds and new ideas for the year ahead. I pull out all the things I stuffed into cabinets at the end of the last school year. This is what the room looks like right now:

We will call that picture the 'before' picture. Obviously I have a lot of work to do! I love coming in on my own time, a little bit each day to reassemble our classroom. My creative juices are flowing and I can dream of all that can become during this next school year.

Family Visitation: In just under 3 weeks I will get to meet all of my new students and their families at our family visitation night! It is one of my favorite nights. I hope all of you can make it!

Right around then I will post our 'after' pictures. Those pictures however may be more appropriately named our 'starting' pictures because this room will quickly change more and more into our place as we add student pictures, work and so much more!

First Day of School: Yes, we have less than a month until the first day of school! As a child I looked forward to this day all summer long and I still do! I remember the anticipation of meeting my new teacher, seeing my classroom, seeing old friends, shiny new school supplies and wearing my new first day of school outfit. Now as the teacher I think about how each of my students are looking forward to this day, too. Yet, some are nervous, anxious, scared or unsure. I look forward to the first day because it's when I get to start making connections with my students.

Each of these special times are coming and I sit here smiling as I think about our year ahead! I hope you and your child are enjoying these last wonderful weeks of summer. Start your countdown for family visitation night!