Welcome back to schools

We’ve also included ideas for getting organized: convenient checklists to help you remember the things you need to do and the supplies you need to get, a sample newsletter to send home t

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Scholastic Inc grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book for classroom use

No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission

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Cover design by Maria Lilja Cover illustrations by Bob Masheris Interior design by Maria Lilja Interior illustrations by Bob Masheris, Rick Brown, Rusty Fletcher

ISBN 0-439-18842-3

Copyright ©2003 by Scholastic Inc.

All rights reserved.

Printed in the U.S.A.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 40 09 08 07 06 05 04 03

Introduction .5

Before the First Day .7

Prep-Steps Checklist .8

Save This! Checklist .9

Procedures Checklist .10

Classroom Organization Checklist .11

Class List .12

All-Purpose Chart .13

Flexible Grouping Techniques .14

Letters Home .15

Preparing for Substitutes .19

The First Day .21

The Reading Connection .22

Name Games .24

Student Information .25

Class Rules and Routines .27

Getting to Know You .32

Classroom Discoveries .34

Listening Activities .35

Reproducible Activities .36

First Week & Beyond .41

Following Directions .44

Community Building .45

Reproducible Activities .49

Home–School Connection Reproducible Forms .60

Contents

Welcome Back to School Activity Book © Scholastic Teaching

Introduction

great start is important for both students and teachers

The beginning of the school year is a time for you to learn about

students’ abilities and interests It’s also a time to initiate routines

and set the tone for learning For students, it is an exciting time

to meet new classmates, adjust to an unfamiliar environment,

and find out what they can look forward to in the year to come.

Whatever your approach to the first days of school, your goals

probably include most, if not all, of the following:

as well as the other people in the room;

and

To help you achieve these goals, this book contains a wonderful

variety of learning-filled games, a short play, bulletin board ideas,

reproducible activity pages, and more Turn to this book for

tried-and-true classroom-building ideas your students will love.

Roll Into Learning

To liven up your classroom instantly, try the RollInto Learning bulletin board set (Scholastic, 2003)

The bright and colorful set is perf ect for welcomingyour students back to school It includes 31 ready-to-personalize, kid-pleasing animals on skateboardsand skates A teaching guide provides lots of ideas

on using the set for classroom management and displaying children’s work, as well as cross-curricularconnections for language arts, math, science, andsocial studies It’s a perfect way to roll into the new school year!

You’ll find activities that help settle down and focus students, as well as those that get them into an enthusiastic,

“I can do it” frame of mind Best of all, each activity in the book requires minimal preparation!

We’ve also included ideas for getting organized: convenient checklists to help you remember the things you need to do and the supplies you need to get, a sample newsletter to send home to parents, and even tips for preparing for substitute teachers You’ll find ways to get started with class rules and routines, fun listening activities, and lots of other engaging activities that help build community in the classroom

Make the start of this school year the best yet!

Before the First Day

It’s no secret that when you prepare for something, the sooner you start and the

more time you devote to it, the easier it will be The checklists and tips in this

section can help you prepare for the first day of school with ease

Prep-Steps Checklist (page 8)

The Prep-Steps Checklist is intended to help you with all the pre-term preparation

you need to remember to do Copy this list each year to help prepare you for the

first day of school

Save This! Checklist (page 9)

Copy and post this list as a reminder of materials to save for class

projects This list also includes ways to put these materials to work

You may also want to send copies of this list home to parents so

they know what you need them to save and donate

Procedures Checklist (page 10)

Use the categories on this checklist as guidelines to create your own

checklist for classroom procedures

Classroom Organization Checklist (page 11)

This page lists important things to consider when organizing your

classroom (including safety reminders)

Class List and All-Purpose Char t (pages 12 and 13)

The reproducible class list and all-purpose chart will come in handy

for recording all sorts of things all year long!

Flexible Grouping Techniques(page 14)

This page suggests how (and when) to group students

randomly, by ability or skill, for cooperative learning, by

interest, task, or knowledge of subject, as well as student

choice You can use this all year long

Letters Home(page 15)

A weekly newsletter is an effective way to communicate with parents

on a regular basis Try sending the first one out before the first day of

school to help students look forward to coming to your class

Preparing for Substitutes(page 19)

Prior to the first day of school, develop Plan B and Plan C

to minimize disruptions to learning

TIPS!

l Set time limits for tasks

l Take advantage of the time you spend waiting in line, at

an appointment, for meetings to begin, and so on.

7

❑ Decide what will go on bulletin boards:

• Where will you post announcements, the

lunch menu, and a calendar? • What kind

of welcome-back display will you put up?

• Which boards will be for subject-area

work? • Where will students’ original work

be displayed?

❑ Set up learning centers

❑ Make signs for room

❑ Post your name, class, and room number on

both the board and the door, where parents

and students can easily see them

❑ Make class list to post on door

❑ Prepare class rolls and permanent records

❑ Prepare packets for students to take home the first day Include:

❑ Prepare a file for correspondence from parents

❑ Make a checklist for returned forms (can be used later for report cards, etc.)

❑ _

❑ _

OTHER LOGISTICS

❑ Reconnect with other teachers

❑ Find out schedules for lunch, gym, art, music,and library

❑ Check out Read-Alouds and other librar y books

❑ Set up a substitute folder Include:

❑ Daily schedule (fill in as soon as possible)

❑ Seating chart (fill in as soon as possible)

❑ Reproducible activities (across content areas)

❑ Prepare a file for faculty bulletins

❑ Write tentative lesson plans for the comingweek

❑ Duplicate materials needed for the first few days

❑ Find out how to add information to the school’s Web site (if available)

Save This! Checklist

Adapted from ar ticle in Instructor (October 1980) by Diane Crane

❑ Paper bags Costumes, masks, fold-away towns, wigs, puppets,

forms for papier-mâché animals

❑ Plastic lids Coasters, frames, mobile parts, molds for plaster plaques

❑ Buttons Jewelry, mosaics, eyes for stuffed animals, collages, games

❑ Pantyhose/stockings Weaving, braiding, knitting, crocheting, soft sculpture,

heads for dolls or puppets

❑ Nuts,cones,pods,and seeds Mosaics, jewelry, decorated wreaths, candle rings, boxes, frames,

flower pictures

❑ Stones,shells,and water- Paperweights, sculptures, jewelry, mosaics

smoothed glass

❑ Pressed flowers,leaves,and grass Place mats, window transparencies, collages

❑ Rug and tile samples Hot-dish mats, covers for small books, mosaics, fuzzy boxes, dioramas

❑ Odd mittens,gloves,and socks Finger and hand puppets, clothes for small dolls

❑ Hangers Simple mobiles, cloth banners, weavings, masks

❑ Scrap wood Toys, carvings, construction, games, building blocks, printing blocks

❑ Bits of string,yarn,and cord Weaving, stitchery, knitting, crocheting, braiding, string painting,

animal tails

❑ Gift wrap paper Collages, paper weaving, paper chains, origami, beads, dioramas

❑ Old jewelry New jewelry, accents in ceramics, holiday ornaments, collages

❑ Wire Armatures for papier-mâché or clay sculpture, flexible skeletons

for cloth dolls, jewelry

❑ Plastic meal tra ys Printmaking, necklaces, frames, dioramas

❑ Plastic packing chips Decorative chains, constructions

❑ Foil pans and tra ys Plaques, ornaments, jewelry, lanterns, rhythm instruments

❑ Egg cartons Containers, sculptures, animals, planters

❑

❑

BEFORE THE FIRST DAY

❑ Use of pen or pencil

❑ Writing on back of paper

❑ Student movement in and

out of small group

❑ Bringing materials to group

❑ Expected behavior in group

❑ Turning in assignments

❑ Returning assignments

❑ Checking assignments in class

❑ Students exchanging papers

❑ Making up missed work

❑ Marking and grading

❑ Rewards and incentives

❑ Posting student work

❑ Communicating with parents

❑ Students’ record of grades

❑ Written comments on assignments

❑

❑

Excerpted from a list developed by the Mid-continent Regional Educational Labor atory,

2550 S Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014

10

BEFORE THE FIRST DAY

11

Classroom Organization

Checklist

Seat Arrangement

Using grid paper, pencil in the shapes and spaces of your room and organize

groups or rows of desks Make it simple to change seating ar rangements by

writing each student’s name on a small sticky note and r earranging as necessary

Keep in mind the following suggestions:

teaching style

second-language learners

visitors can see them clear ly

theme, to facilitate independent book selection

Special Safety Checklist:

(such as extension cords across a pathwa y)

TIPS!

l Place needed materials within reach of your work space

l Move your desk from view of the door to discourage colleagues who may

BEFORE THE FIRST DAY

BEFORE THE FIRST DAY

BEFORE THE FIRST DAY

Flexible Grouping Techniques

This is completely arbitrary;

have students group themselves by like titles

or by given colors.

Use performance on a reading measure; students with similar scores are placed in the same group.

Group students according to specific social skills (leader s, followers) heterogeneous in that each has different skills.

This group is based on an interest survey Assign students

to a group or have them assign themselves to a group based

on interest in a topic Those who are successful

in completing given types of activities are grouped together.

Students with knowledge of a given subject or hobby are grouped together.

Students lacking in a skill or strategy are grouped together.

Students are allowed to group themselves according to a like characteristic such as author

you want to have students read literature selections at their instructional levels as determined

by the reading measure.

students will need to function

in different roles; students learn different roles from one another and work together to complete a group task.

student interest is the main motivating force for learning about a topic.

you want to enable students

to use their strongest modality

to show understanding.

you want students to see likeness among one another and share information.

you want to teach the skill or strategy to those who need to learn it.

you want to use liter ature response groups in which stu- dents take the lead; also good

to use when student success

is not dependent on choice

Example

Students choose a title from

a bag you circulate and group themselves by like title.

There are enough titles to form groups of equal size.

When completing a folk tale unit, students are directed to read a folk tale that corresponds

to their general reading levels.

Students read a script and glean important information to share with the rest of the class.

When preparing, one person reads, another takes notes, another draws One child is the group spokesperson.

Students who are interested

in a favorite author or illustrator come together to learn more about him/her.

Children who find drawing enjoyable are grouped together to construct scenery for the reenactment of a stor y.

Students who are interested

in baseball cards are grouped together to share the statistics

of their favorite players.

Children who need to lear n specific print concepts are grouped to learn them.

Several books are displayed and students are invited to choose the book they would like to read.Those with like titles are then put in the same group.

“Flexible Grouping Techniques” adapted from Flexible Grouping in Reading: Practical Ways to Help All Students Become Better Readers by Michael Opitz Copyright © 1998 by Michael Opitz Used by permission of Scholastic, Inc.

14

Letters Home

During August, help set the stage for positive attitudes toward school

and learning by writing a note to each student on y our roster, welcoming

the child to your class Students will look forward to the first day of

school, feeling that you are really interested in them If at any time new

students are enrolled in your class, writing a note to them at the end of

their first day will help them feel welcome

Collaborative Classroom Chronicle

A weekly class newsletter is an effective way to foster home–school

communication any time of the year To help both parents and children

better know what they can expect in the coming y ear, try mailing one

to each student’s family before the school year begins The newsletter

might feature articles on your approach to teaching, the class goals

you’ve set for the coming year, any homework or absence policies,

important class rules, the first book the class will r ead, as well as a list

of needed classroom supplies This is also a good time to mention weekly

evaluation, report card, or conference procedures Here is a sample

letter you may want to include in the first ne wsletter:

Dear Parents,

Please enjoy this first issue of the Classroom Chronicle I’ve sent

this newsletter home to you to introduce myself, share some of my

philosophies on teaching, and give you and your child a hint of what

to expect in the coming year This year promises to be a great one

Your child will be learning many new things this year—academic,

organizational, and social skills, as well as self-confidence and

responsibility.

In order to keep you informed of your child’s progress, I plan to send

home a weekly newsletter announcing upcoming projects, reporting on

the previous week’s activities, and informing you of special needs our

class might have If you have any questions or concerns throughout the

year, please do not hesitate to contact me A note or phone call to

request a meeting time in advance will help me to give you and your

child my undivided attention.

I am looking forward to meeting you and your child I’m looking

forward to working with you this year as we help your child reach his

or her maximum potential and experience all the joys of learning.

Sincerely,

Classroom Chronicle: All Year Long

Creating a classroom newsletter on a regular basis may seem like yetanother responsibility By sharing the task with students, you can providenot only necessary information to parents, but also a quick and easy wa y

to publish students’ writing on a r egular basis Monday through Thursday,choose one student each night to write one or tw o complete paragraphsabout something he or she did that da y, what was learned from the expe-rience, and how he or she felt about the day’s activities.The next day thatstudent will type the information into the computer, including a title,name, and date at the top of the ar ticle By the end of the w eek, four dif-ferent students will have written about the school day and added thearticle to the computer (If no computers are available, students shouldneatly rewrite the information onto a sheet of pa per.)

At the end of the w eek, write a brief article that describes your thoughtsabout the past week, information about upcoming events and thematicunits, requests for parent volunteers, and so forth Add your brief article,

as well as the four student articles, to the Classroom Chronicle template(pages 17–18), include some related clip art, copy the newsletter, andsend it home to parents If your school has a digital camera, consider tak-ing snapshots of your students each week to add to the newsletter

Students will connect to their classroom community and practice writingskills Parents will appreciate being kept well-informed and they will enjoyreading about students’ experiences

clip art

c c

c c

Preparing for

Substitutes

(and the Unexpected)

So you’ve made all of your preparations for the first day of school You’re

ready to greet your new students and start the school year off right Out

of the blue, an emergency happens However, an unexpected absence on

the first day (or any day) doesn’t have to be a disaster, if you’re prepared!

Prior to the first day of school, when planning your own classroom

procedures (see Procedures Checklist, page 10), pay special attention to

how you envision your class having a productive day with a substitute

teacher, ensuring that “lost” time becomes “learning” time You may have

already even developed an emergency activity file f or this very purpose!

It always helps to revisit and add to these ideas from time to time

The reproducible substitute teacher information form (page 20) is a

great way to record all of the essential inf ormation a substitute will need

You can use it “as is” or adapt it to suit the par ticular needs of your

classroom.Whatever you use, it is important to familiarize substitutes with

daily procedures such as lunch and attendance counts, discipline and

other classroom routines, and seating charts Also, let them know the

shortest route to the nearest restroom!

Remember to prepare students as soon as possible f or the inevitability

of a substitute As a class, brainstorm possible situations that might lead

to a substitute (such as a teacher meeting) or another kind of disruption

(such as a fellow classmate getting sick or a par ent or the principal

knocking on the door) Remind them how they can help the substitute

and why their cooperation is impor tant You can also brainstorm a special

version of the class rules Write them on a char t Ask students to sign it

showing they agree to follow these rules when there is a substitute o r

another disruption And if the consequences of br eaking the rules are

also posted, this can minimize less-than-optimum behavior when you’re

not around.You might even wish to include behavioral expectations for

substitute days in your first newsletter

One of the most effective ways to find a reliable substitute is to thank

those who do a good job in your classroom You can call or write them

a note Inform the principal when you’ve had an exceptional substitute

and ask for them each time you are in need The continuity of the same

great substitute time after time is ideal

TIPS!

l Create a form letter to students encouraging their good behavior in your absence.

l While detailed lesson plans will help you feel more at ease, when possible give substitutes the chance to teach.

Most can—and want to—undertake genuine teaching responsibilities.

l Create a folder that contains quick warm-ups and ready-to-go work such as the reproducible sheets and short activi- ties found in this book This limits the paper to

go through and provides

a place to put collected work Keep a list of a few books students are sure to love hearing read aloud.

l Ask the substitute to

list negative and

positive experiences

of the day You may want to develop a form or checklist.

The First Day

The first day is the most important one during the first weeks of school

It is crucial to create a positive first impression Students will view

both your actions and the classroom environment as informal cues to

your expectations of them If classroom activities flow smoothly,

students will notice and, ideally, behave accordingly One way to set

the tone for a productive year is to have an assignment ready to go on

the first day—so students can begin working as soon as class begins

The Reading Connection (page 22)

To help reduce first-day worries and lighten everyone’s mood,

try sharing a good story or laugh as a class Turn to page 23 for

a list of some just-right first-day books to read aloud

Name Games(page 24)

Typically, students answer roll call with a standard “Here.” To liven up

this procedure—and learn a little about your students—try some

alternate ways to take attendance

Student Information(page 25)

Gathering student information on the first day is a necessary, but

often time-consuming, task A reproducible student information form

(page 26) will make gathering student information as easy as possible

Class Rules and Routines (page 27)

Presenting classroom rules and routines as you would a

regular lesson is an effective way to familiarize

stu-dents with many of the situations they’ll encounter

over the course of the year While there are bound to

be a few rules not open to discussion, it’s helpful to

involve students in brainstorming some classroom

rules Share the read-aloud play (page 28) with

your class to precede the brainstorming process

Getting to Know You (page 32)

Discovering similarities among one another is a favorite

part of the back-to-school season Remember to help

students “get to know” the important features of the

room and the school, as well

TIPS!

l There’s no match for arriving early Give yourself plenty of time so that your stress level remains

in check, and you have time to put your things away and be

at the door in time

to greet students with

a welcoming smile.

l Try starting students with something they already know how to

do, such as a simple drawing or writing activity, or a word search This will help them feel successful and confident.

Listening Activities (page 35)The opening days of school are such a whirlwind of activity that some ofyour students may find it hard to concentrate So here are a few activities

to help them do just that

Reproducible Activities (page 38)

If possible, limit the amount of clerical work you do on the first day Also try

to avoid leaving the room while students are there However, providing aready-to-go activity or two for students can keep them productively engagedfrom the start, allowing you to take care of any necessary details as they arise

Cursive Nameplate: This is an instant cursive alphabet Students can

practice tracing both upper- and lowercase letters, and write and displaytheir own names

First-Day Challenge: Students can work on their own or in pairs For an extra

challenge (or in teams), ask them to include more than one answer per box

What’s Wrong With This Picture?: Find ten zany things in a classroom

scene: wacky clock, rain under the umbrella, dog-student, fish outsidewindow, upside-down flowers, calendar, girl on swing, girl in pajamas,missing desk leg, flippers for shoes

Back to School: Find the correct path through the maze to get from

home to school

Hidden Words: This word search contains twenty school-related words

The Reading Connection

Opening-Day Book Sharing

Promote enthusiasm for reading throughout the year by sharing yourlove of reading on the very first day of school Describe your favoritebooks and ask pupils to tell y ou about theirs Encourage them to sharewhat they read during the summer.Was it different from what they readduring the school year? Perhaps they read comics, statistics on the back

of baseball cards, or directions to a game Invite children to bring toschool and share whatever they enjoyed reading the most

When children arrive, let them discover books in all sor ts of places and containers Perhaps have books hanging from the ceiling, or piled high in

a reading corner Why not fill a basket with magazines and a to y sinkwith books? Remember to give children plenty of time to br owsethrough the books

TIPS!

l Remember to write

your name on the

board so students

can learn it

immedi-ately If your name

is difficult to

pro-nounce, try dividing

it into syllables,

or including a phrase

like, “rhymes with ”

You may also invite

children to write

their own names

on the board before

sitting down quietly.

l Post or store extra

Back-to-School Read-Aloud Books

Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon

by Paula Danziger (Putnam, 1994)

What’s third-grader Amber Brown

going to do now that her best friend

Justin is moving away?

Amelia’s Notebook by Marissa Moss

(Pleasant, 1999)

A nine-year-old records her thoughts

about moving, school, her sister, her

best friend, and a new friend

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

(William Morrow, 1996)

Chrysanthemum loves her name—

until she goes to school and the

children make fun of her

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

by Judi Barrett

(Simon & Schuster, 1982)

Life is delicious in this tall-tale

town where it rains soup and juice,

snows mashed potatoes, and more!

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

by Roald Dahl (Penguin Putnam, 1998)

Billy joins the Ladderless

Window-Cleaning Company and gets not only

a new job but also three new friends

Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert

Kraus (HarperCollins, 1994)

This is the reassuring story of Leo,

a young tiger, who finally blooms—

proving that eventually everyone does

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin

Henkes (William Morrow, 1996)

When Lilly can’t resist showing off her

purple purse, her teacher shares a

les-son about apologies and forgiveness

The Lost and Found by Mark Teague

(Scholastic, 2000)

Two boys show a new girl in school

the Lost and Found, and end up

having quite an adventure

Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy

(Henry Holt and Company, 1998)

Lisa learns that there are many ways

to measure a dog

Miss Nelson Is Missing!

by Harry Allard and James Marshall (Houghton Mifflin, 1985)

Miss Nelson’s class tends to be a littleunruly until substitute teacher ViolaSwamp straightens them out

The New Kid on the Block by Jack

Prelutsky (Greenwillow, 1990)Includes over 100 hilarious poemschildren will love

Sometimes I Feel Like a Mouse

by Jeanne Modesitt (Scholastic, 1996)

A child experiences different feelings

Somewhere Today by Shelley Thomas

(Whitman, 1998)People bring about peace by caringfor one another and their world

The Teacher From the Black Lagoon

by Mike Thaler (Scholastic, 1997)

On the first day of school, a boy fallsasleep and dreams that his class istaught by Mrs Green—a monster!

Thank You, Mr Falker by Patricia

Polacco (Putnam, 1998)

Mr Falker, a very special teacher,recognizes Trisha’s dyslexiaand helps her

Tom by Tomie dePaola

(Putnam, 1997)The author draws from hisown childhood in a storyabout his grandfather

We Are Best Friends

by Aliki (William Morrow, 1991) This story is about keeping friends and making new ones

Where Are You Going Manyoni?

by Catherine Stock (William Morrow, 1993)

In Zimbabwe, a child encountersseveral wild animals on her longwalk to school

Some Favorite Authors Born

The second week of school, you might have students answer these questions at roll call:

You are sure to think of many other lively questions to ask students

Lining Up With a Twist

When you’re pressed for time, the quickest way to line your students

up for classroom exit is probably row by row or group by group

However, if you’ve got a few extra minutes, why not try a fun and unusualmethod? Lining up for lunch or dismissal at the end of the da y is a perfect time to play a game using students’ names It requires the use

of various language terms and skills Start by giving a clue about a name

“syllable,” please line up Or: If your first name contains eight letters, pleaseline up If a student (for example, Reynaldo) recognizes the clue

as referring to his name, he calls out the name If correct, that persongets in line If, in a reasonable amount of time, he does not recognize the clue referring to his name, any student who does may answerthough no one may get in line

responses, you may

want to use the

Besides names, you can focus on other student attributes:

now students with red on their socks now students with yellow

on their socks

now pistachio peppermint banana strawberry vanilla

chocolate

swimming skiing basketball football baseball

There’s no end to the n umber of clues and categories you can devise

for lining up

Student Information

Gathering student information on the first day is a necessary, but often

time-consuming, task Remember, being as thorough as possible the first

time around will help maximize the r est of your classroom time, making

it more productive and learning-filled

Textbook Distribution

To keep track of textbooks, try an alphabetical filing system using index

cards On each card, ask students to list their name , address, and phone

number, as well as each subject that has a textbook (y ou can write a list

on the chalkboard or an overhead) Then students can write the name

of the textbook and the n umbers of each text after the a ppropriate

subject on the index cards Remind students of your own rules regarding

textbooks, such as not marking in them, creating a protective cover for

them, whether they are allowed to remove them from the classroom, and

what any related consequences are

TIPS!

l Explain, discuss, and give students a chance to practice such routines as opening-of-day exercises

l Post a general schedule for lunch, music, physical education, recess, and classwork.

Emphasize and teach routines that will help students move into these periods quickly and efficiently

l Remember, students won’t learn class- room routines all

in a day Continue

to emphasize and practice for the first few weeks.

c c

These are the subjects I like the most(check all that apply):

When I don’t understand something I usually:

These are some of the things I can do(check all that apply):

To get to school I usually:

My favorite kinds of books to read are (check all that apply):

Class Rules

and Routines

Class Rules and Routines

Presenting the most important classroom rules and routines as you

would a regular lesson is an effective way to familiarize students with

many of the situations they’ll encounter over the course of the y ear

Once you’ve explained the routines, open the floor to questions,

and give students a chance to practice

Class-Created Rule List

Ask students to imagine there are no stop signs or traffic lights an ywhere

on the streets Why might that be dangerous? Help them to understand

that street signs and stoplights keep the streets safer, so that fewer

accidents occur

know the answer.) Help them to understand that classr oom rules, like

street signs, make things safer by telling children what to do

Present each of the following hypothetical situations For each one,

(Remember never to use the name of a child in y our classroom.)

to each other Ingrid’s feelings were hurt

skinned his knee

the homework He didn’t hear the assignment

Calvin put his paper on the tab le and now the paper is gooey

On a large sheet of oaktag, write the rules that the students suggest

Challenge students to come up with mor e situations where rules are

needed Hang the list of rules in the classr oom Chances are it will be

strictly adhered to because the students made the rules themselv es

TIP!

Who Need Rules?

Perform this read-aloud play (page 28) early in the school year to help show your new students the importance of following rules Assign each student a part

The Chorus can be made

up of as many students

as you wish

Ask the Narrator, Rule Reciters, and Rule Breakers to read their lines in turn (Each Rule Reciter should also hold up a sign with the pertinent classroom rule written on it, for example, “Be on time.”) The Chorus can recite each classroom lesson—or sing it to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

Who Need Rules?

Narrator: Welcome to our classroom play

It tells of rules we must obey

You have to follow every rule

If you don’t, you’ll be a fool!

Let us see what comes to passWhen rules are broken in our class

Rule #1: Rule number one: Be on time

(Holds up a sign that says “Be on time.”)

Latecomer: I am Latecomer, late to school

I thought being late was cool

But then I missed the w ork assigned,And now I’ve fallen way behind!

Narrator: Latecomer broke an important rule

What can we learn from this mistake?

Chorus: Be on time to school each da y,

You’ll know what to do that wa y

Class can be a lot of fun

If you’re here when the day’s begun

Be on time and don’t be late,Watch the clock and you’ll feel great!

Narrator: Now let’s see what comes to pass

When another rule is broken in class

Rule #2: Rule number two: Be neat when you work

(Holds up a sign that says “Be neat.”)

Mr Messy: I’m Mr Messy all day long

I never care what I do wrong

But once with paint I made a messAnd spilled it on my classmate’s dress!

Narrator: Uh, oh! Mr Messy broke another important

rule What can we learn from this mistake?

Chorus: When you’re working, do be neat,

Don’t be messy at your seat

Careful, careful what you take,

No one wants a spill or br eak

Don’t be messy, just be neatWhen you’re working at your seat

Narrator: Here’s a third rule you should know,

If you break it, oh, oh, oh!

Rule #3: Rule number three: Listen closely when

someone is speaking

(Holds up a sign that says “Listen closely.”)

Jabbermouth: I’m Jabbermouth, I talk all day,

I never hear what people say

But once, on a walk, I got a fright,The class turned left, and I turned right!

Narrator: Jabbermouth was lost because of not

listening to the teacher’s directions

What can we learn from this mistake?

Chorus: Listen closely, listen hard,

Always keep your ears on guard

Do not speak when others do ,They will think it’s rude of you

Listen closely, lend an ear,Never miss what you must hear

Narrator: In the hallway, there’s a rule

You should never break at school

Rule #4: Rule number four: Walk in the halls

(Holds up a sign that says “Walk in the halls ”)

Hall-Runner: I’m Hall-Runner, on the run,

Running in the halls is fun

But one day I ran and tripped,You should see the pants I ripped!

Narrator: Hall-Runner learned this lesson the har d way

What can we learn from this mistake?

Chorus: In the hallway, do not run,

Falling down is never fun

Walking is the way to go,Not too fast, just nice and slow

Don’t go running in the hall,Make the building safe for all

Narrator: In the lunchroom line each day,

Here’s a rule we must obey

Rule #5: Rule number five: Be patient in the

“Be patient in line ”)

Line-Pusher: I’m Line-Pusher, at lunch I love

To cut in line and push and sho ve

But one day when I tried to push,

I dropped my lunch, and now it’s mush!

Narrator: Line-Pusher went hungry that day

What can we learn from this mistake?

Chorus: In the lunchroom, do not push,

Or your lunch may turn to mush

Just be patient, wait in line,Take your turn and you’ll be fine

Never push, or food may toss,Apples could be applesauce!

Narrator: On the playground, there’s a rule

If you break it, you’re a fool

Rule #6: Rule number six: Play safely on the

“Play safely.”)

Roughhouser: I’m Roughhouser when I play,

I don’t care what others say

But once I threw Mike in the dir tAnd accidentally he got hurt

Narrator: Roughhouser didn’t mean to hur t anyone,

but that is what ha ppened What can we learn from this mistake?

Chorus: On the playground, don’t be rough,

Just play safely, never tough

Have fun when you’re in the yard,Play your best but not too har d

Cut the roughhouse when you play,

No one will get hur t that way

Narrator: Our final rule is f or all of us

Who come to school on the bus

Rule #7: Rule number seven: Stay sitting

“Stay sitting on the bus ”)

Bus Show-Off: I’m a show-off on the bus,

I walk around and make a fuss

But one time, when we made a stop,

I fell down and went “KERPLOP!”

Narrator: After that accident, Bus Show-Off

was very sore What can we learn from this mistake?

Chorus: On the bus, you must sit down

As the driver drives through town

Never stand up in the aisle You may fall and lose your smile

On the bus, just keep your seat,You’ll be safe, which can’t be beat!

Narrator: Those are the rules we must obey

In class, at lunch, or when we play

You must follow every rule,

If you don’t, you’ll be a fool

Now let’s have a quick review

So we’ll remember what to do

Rule #3: Listen closely

Rule #4: Walk in the halls

Rule #5: Be patient in line

Rule #6: Play safely

Rule #7: Stay sitting on the bus

All Students: We remember all the rules,

We will keep them—we’re no fools!

Getting to Know You

Get Acquainted Bulletin Board

This activity, which you can begin on the first da y of school, can help youbecome better acquainted with your students by leaving notes for themthat they can answer

First, attach one envelope with each student’s name on it to the bulletinboard.Then explain to students that e very Monday, for instance, you willleave them each a note that the y should pick up, read, and reply to

In the first note, include a little information about yourself For example,you might write:

32

TIP!

On the first day, ask

students to bring one

special thing from

home—a favorite toy,

a pillow, a game, a

picture Place all the

special things in a

quiet corner and let

children use it for a