Welcome Letter to Introduce Yourself to Families for a New Year of 4k

Many new teachers, or teachers new to Pre-K, ask how to brainstorm the yr.

How to survive the First Days of Pre-One thousand!

The best advice I got every bit a new teacher was to forget about apples and themes and any "cutesy stuff" for the first few weeks of schoolhouse, and focus on educational activity them how to use the centers and the materials in the classroom. Lessons at the beginning of school should be bones: how to apply gum, how to use scissors, how to utilize markers, how to use pigment, how to line up, etc. Don't presume that they know these things.

Before the Beginning Solar day

As shortly as I get my class listing, I send out a small package to the parents. The packet includes a letter to the parents introducing myself and my assistant with some brief information virtually our program and curriculum. It also includes a child info canvas. I ask the parents to bring these to school on orientation day, and remind them of the date and time. The packet too has a "Starting time Day Fears" letter, explaining separation anxieties and some tips for a smooth transition to school. Here's a link to a Showtime Day Fears Letter (originally from Ms. Bonthuis' site).

Click to download the Child Information Canvass

Orientation

At orientation, nosotros accept the children go in another room to watch a movie, while the teachers give a presentation to the parents. I try to keep it brief, so the children have future in and explore the classroom.

I draw a map on the lath for parents who don't know our school'south arrival and dismissal procedures. I explicate a little about the curriculum and briefly become over our handbook, and so permit them time to enquire questions.

I accept sign-up sheets on the tables for volunteer time and for parents to write how their kid will get dwelling (motorcar, walk, daycare van, or extended day). I also pass out our daily folders and explain their purpose.

Daily Folders

How nosotros use the daily folders: The daily folders are used all year, and are brought to school every day. They are used every bit a communication tool between dwelling house and school. Parents are asked to send whatever notes to me or the school or any coin in the binder, and I send whatever notes from me or the school to them. The child'south work is too sent dwelling in the folder.

I put a copy of our handbook and our curriculum in the folder for orientation day, and take the parents take them habitation and return them the first day of school.

Where we go our daily folders: The folders we apply are plastic with clear covers on the forepart and back and clear pockets on the inside. I slip a decorated newspaper in the front pocket with the child'southward name, school name, and grade. It also says "Please return daily" every bit a reminder to the parents. The dorsum pocket has a monthly form calendar. The inside pockets accept "return to school" written on the left side, and "keep at domicile" written on the right side. The folders are from Nicky'south Folders. I've been using these for years, and they are very durable.

First Day of Schoolhouse Arrival

The start twenty-four hour period of schoolhouse is always very busy at arrival fourth dimension because parents remember something they need to tell me or ask me, and the children want to wander around the room pulling things out.

On the tables, I set out crayons and paper with the words "I drew this on the first day of school" printed on the lesser. I salvage these for their portfolios. I also put Legos on the table to go on the kids busy. My assistant helps steer the wanderers back to the table to aid go along the offset twenty-four hour period chaos down to a minimum.

Download a printable Outset Day Cartoon sheet

Center Time

It's nice to accept a wide diverseness of materials in the centers for the children to use, simply this can be overwhelming at the kickoff of the year. It'south improve to take less to begin with, permit them become used to the room and how things are set up, then bring more materials out a few at a fourth dimension. I innovate most materials at pocket-size grouping time before I put them in the middle. I don't accept cupboard space to put things away, so I actually practise have lots of things on the shelves at the beginning of the year, it just isn't all available. It's likewise a good thought to keep everything in the same place all twelvemonth because it is less disruptive for the kids. You don't want to rearrange things on your shelves too much because the kids will never understand how and where they should be put abroad.

I have my centers prepare how I desire them to be for the year, but I turn the shelves around facing the walls, and purse up or wrap up some of the items. I wrap or bag the materials at the stop of each year. That way, they're packed for the summer and ready for the beginning of the next school yr (and dust free!) The first few weeks of school, I only have the blocks, housekeeping, fine art, and reading eye available. I slowly add together other centers.

I do a lesson for each heart before the kids apply it, and we go over each middle's rules every day for the first few weeks. The first twenty-four hour period of schoolhouse, I dissever the grade in one-half. My assistant takes half to the housekeeping center and I have half to the block center (afterwards, we switch). We bear witness them where everything goes, and we explain safe rules (such as not throwing blocks or throwing things from the loft). Nosotros have a few things down and put them away request the children if they recall where they go. And then, each child is given one or more than items from that middle and the children take turns putting them abroad. In that location are times when we have to repeat this. If things go out of hand in a particular center (safe issues or clean up bug), I close that eye for a twenty-four hours, and we review the rules before using information technology once again.

Tips for each center:

• HOUSEKEEPING: I don't add together wearing apparel-up clothes until September (2nd calendar month of school for u.s.).
• BLOCKS: At the starting time, we only have the basic wooden blocks. I don't add cars and trucks or animals until afterward.
• Fine art: My art centre has a lot of materials. The first few weeks, the just materials available are paper, markers, crayons, glue, and pair of scissors. I wrap the other materials in butcher paper and write the contents on the parcel. When I experience the kids are gear up for something new, we open a "present" (the kids beloved to open up a new nowadays).
• WRITING: This is done basically the same way as art. The first week, only paper, markers, and pencils are available.
• MATH and ABC: I put the manipulatives in two-gallon ziplock bags and sit the bags down in the tubs. That way the kids can't get into them and spread them all over the room earlier nosotros've had a chance to become over the center rules. (This item shelf is large and cannot be turned around.)
• READING: I only have a few lath books out in the beginning. More than books are added afterwards.
• SCIENCE: This shelf is turned effectually backwards until we are prepare for it.

Lesson Plans

As mentioned, our first activities and lessons center on learning almost the classroom, school procedures, and how to employ bones materials. These lessons last equally long as needed. There is no set up stop fourth dimension for beginning school lessons. See the School Unit page for my beginning school activities and lessons. You lot can besides read almost our day in Pre-Thou and run into our schedule.

Yous might like these Dorsum to Schoolhouse resources:

More than pages on this site:

• Printable Get-go Day Awards
• Lessons & Activities for the Get-go of Schoolhouse
• Our 24-hour interval in Pre-1000
• Schedule
• Classroom Rules
• Mail service a Wish List for Parents
• Preparing for Dorsum to School

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Source: https://www.prekinders.com/first-days-pre-k/

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