First Day of School

By Kailee Gilhooly
Beginning of the Day
 School begins at 8:00 AM
8:00-8:20 Welcome As the students are entering the room the teacher will be standing in the doorway greeting
and Attendance each student, telling them to look for their name tag on a desk. After all the students have
found their desk you will begin my introducing yourself briefly (Your name and how long
you have been teaching are fine for now). While the students are waiting for the teacher and
classmates, they will have an all about me worksheet to fill out. They will get to draw
themselves, fill out their name, birthday, and a bunch of different favorites. For example,
favorite color, favorite food, etc. If student do not finish in the time while waiting, they will
keep it and work on it later if they finish anything early or they will finish it the second day
of school. Once they are completed the teacher will hang them in the hallway as for other
students to see who is in that class. Now you are going to take attendance by throwing a
beach ball, this beach ball has numerous different questions on it. The students will stand
behind their desk and throw the ball to one another. When the student catches the ball, they
say their name (or nickname) and answer the question their hand landed on. Once they have
caught the ball and thrown it to a classmate, they will sit down so everyone knows who is
left. After the last student has gone, they will throw the beach ball to the teacher and the
teacher will answer the question their hand lands on.
8:20-8:40 Morning The teacher will now tell the students it is time for their first morning meeting. The students
Meeting will gather at the rug in the front of the classroom. In morning meeting for the first day the
teacher will go over what morning meeting is and briefly cover the expectations of morning
meeting. The teacher will go over the hot lunch for the day (although there may not be hot
lunch the first day) and tell students where they should put their lunch boxes, coats, and
backpacks each day when they get to school. The teacher will point out where the student
mailboxes, class library, and turn in table is. The teacher will introduce bathroom and water
sign language signals. These are the signs that students will use to ask to go to the bathroom
or get a drink. Throughout the day the teacher will go into more details as items around the
class some up in conversation. End morning meeting by going over the class schedule and
what days/times the students have specials. The point of having a morning meeting is giving
the students a preview of what each day of school will look like and how the day will start.
The teacher will go over what will always be covered during morning meeting, like hot
lunches, and go over what might be different about morning meeting depending on the day,
for example a question the teacher may ask the students will vary each day.
8:40-9:30 Writing The students will now go back to their desks and take out their yellow notebook and a pencil.
Explain to the students that their yellow notebook and yellow folder will be used for writing
this year. One the board the teacher will project a screen with the Who I Riddle. And the
teacher’s example. The students will write three- five statements and finish the last sentence
with, Who Am I? The students will write their name on the back of the paper. The students
will place these in the in class turn in bin, which the teacher will explain at this time where
that is and that the bin labeled in class work is only for completed work in class. The point
of the Who Am I riddle for the students to write about who they are without actually saying
who they are. The teacher will read the Who Am I riddle aloud, and the students will learn
more about their classmates and guessing to find the person behind each riddle. They will
only be read after all students have turn in the assignment. As the students finish and turn in
 their Who Am I riddle they will then have a free write about their summer until all students
are finished with their riddle. After all the riddles are shared the teacher is going to announce
to the class that they need to work together to come up with some class rules. Each table pod
is going to come up with three different rules that they think are important for their class.
The pods will share out the one they like the most and think will be the best rule. The teacher
will write down all the ideas shared. Then they will work together to come up with a good
order of the rules. The teacher may or may not add any rules that students left out.
Throughout all of writing the teacher will be walking around the room getting to know the
students better and helping with any questions they may have. The idea of having students
help come up with class rules or expectations is to create a common community among the
class. Another reason is that if the students come up with the rules themselves, they might
follow them better than just being given a bunch of rules. The students will put their yellow
notebook back in their desk and get ready for the next subject.
9:30-10:15 The students will gather at the front carpet for a read aloud. The teacher will read, The Day
Reading/ELA you Begin aloud to the students. The teacher will have prepared questions with post it notes
in the book to ask students throughout the reading of the book. The book talks about starting
in a new environment just like the students are starting in a new classroom on this first day
of school. At the end of the book the teacher can ask for real life examples if the students
want to share, but they are not forced to share how they feel about starting in a new
environment. After the read aloud tell the students they can get their healthy snack out of
their backpacks. Let the students know that snack time will be during reading time every day
and the teacher will dismiss for snack time. Remind the students that healthy snacks are
strongly encouraged. At this time, you will go over one of the classroom jobs, two students
each day will go to the office to gather snacks from the office. These snacks are for the
students who forgot to bring a snack, get free/reduced meals or other reasons. The teacher
will explain classroom rules as they come up throughout the day, but they will introduce
what they are. The teacher will have a list of class rules that she projects for all the students
to see, the teacher will let the students know that jobs are randomly assigned based on
pulling popsicle sticks. The jobs will change every week. The jobs will be hanging in the
classroom in the back by the mailboxes. The students will know what job they have based on
where the clothes pin with their name is. One role that will be introduced right away will the
substitute job as these students will fill in for any other job of a student who is absent. The
students will return to their seats after getting their snacks and you will be playing get to
know you BINGO for the rest of reading. A few examples of squares on BINGO are has a
dog, has a cat, has a sibling, born in summer, born in winter, likes pizza, likes ice cream, etc.
The BINGO activity is to provide the teacher to learn more about the students in a creative
way instead of having them do another worksheet, this provides hands on.

10:15- 11:00 Social Social studies are the last subject before lunch and recess. Instruct the students to take out
Studies their red folder and red notebook from the class. The students are going to do a time capsule
individually and the class will do one together. Not all the students will know what a time
capsule is, so project an image of a time capsule. Now ask the students to turn to their table
pod and talk about what the image might be. While the students are discussing be walking
around and joining conversations. After a few moments gather the class back together, ask
students to share what they talked about then tell students what the image really is and
explain what a time capsule is. For example, a time capsule is something that you out objects
 in and then you hide the time capsule and after a moment of time, sometimes years, you go
back and look at the time capsule and look what is inside. The time capsule will be kept in a
safe spot in the classroom that the students all brainstorm together, at the very end of the
year the students will be able to read the time capsule and see what happened from august to
may. The students will each get a white sheet of computer paper, but to start they will use a
piece of notebook paper for practice. The students will divide the sheet into three columns,
“five things I hope for”, “Five things I accomplished”, “five things I hope to accomplish”.
The students will write their 5 things in pencil on their notebook paper. After they are
comfortable and ready, they will get a white piece of computer paper and be able to decorate
their paper with colors. The students probably will not finish their final draft, so this will
spill into the second day of school. Once all the final drafts are done the students and teacher
will do the same thing but coming up with 5 things for each column together. After all the
final drafts are completed, they will be placed in a box and the box will be kept in that
special place the students voted on. The students will each be given a strip of white paper to
decorate however they like and then it will be glued on the box to decorate the time capsule.
The point of doing a time capsule is for at the end of the year students to compare
themselves present day in May to their old selves in August when school began, and they
built a time capsule. The teacher may also look to see if anyone in the school community has
done a time capsule before and share that story with the students, so they see a real example
of a time capsule.
Lunch
11:00- 11:30 Lunch It is now time for lunch. The students will be instructed to put away their social studies
materials. The teacher will explain another class job at this time. One job for the students
will be to push the lunchbox cart to the lunchroom and leave it at the end of the assigned
table. At this time the teacher will go over how the students will be dismissed to line up.
The students will be dismissed based on what table is sitting quietly and patiently.
11:30-11:50 Recess Before leaving for lunch remind students lunch monitors will be taking them outside for
recess. Remind the students to treat the monitors in a respectful way.
11:50-12:00 Break The teacher will meet the students back at the doors near the playground. The class will go
together to the bathroom and water fountains for students to use before heading back to
class for the afternoon. The students will practice being the hallway and how to act in the
hallway. The teacher will guide the students back to the classroom. A different student will
take the lunch box cart back to the classroom and place it by the cubbies so students can
grab their lunchbox when they pack up at the end of the day.
12:00-12:10 The students will gather on the front carpet for a quick afternoon meeting. The teacher will
Afternoon meeting go over the subjects for the afternoon. The teacher will also play a Go noodle video and
have a moment of mediation for students to regain focus and get ready for the rest of their
day.
Middle of the Day
12:10-1:00 Math The students are going to learn more about the teacher during math. To begin have the
students take out their blue notebook and folder. Explain to students this will be used for
math. The teacher will hang the Get to Know Me poster. The poster will include math
questions for students to figure out more facts about the teacher. Depending on the grade
level the types of math questions will include addition, subtraction, division, and
multiplication. Example questions: 4x5= my age, 12/3= number of people in my family,
5+3= the number of letters in my last name. The students will have time to do the math to
 answer the question before they share. They will share and compare answers with their
table mates and the they will share with the teacher learning more about who their teacher
is. If there is still time, the students will begin a paint by number worksheet. There will be
three different options, addition, subtraction, and multiplication. The students will pick the
worksheet based on where they feel comfortable, as they answer the questions, they will
begin to see what color they need to color the image. This activity gives the students a
break from giving the teacher information about them and instead allows the students to
learn about who their teacher is. While the students are doing the math, they will walk
around helping students with any difficulties they have.
1:00-1:30 Science The students will be instructed to take out their green notebook and folder. The teacher will
tell the students they will get their green notebooks every day and use green for science.
The students will be instructed to take out colors, glue, and scissors from their pencil case.
In science the students are going to complete an all about me beaker. The beaker asks: 3
words to describe you, would you rather questions, a goal, a wish, favorite food, favorite
movie, favorite animal, the most adventurous thing you have done, and what you like to
learn about in science. The students will be able to color and decorate the beaker however
they like. They will then cut out the beaker and the teacher will give them a picture of
themselves from the class list. The students will glue their picture to their beaker however
they would like. After all that is complete the teacher will hang the beakers on the bulletin
board for other students to see. This is another fun activity to get to know the students
better, but it is related to science as the students are decorating a beaker. The teacher will
have extra supplies for students who may have forgotten a supply at home. The teacher
will walk around the room helping students with writing, cutting, and gluing.
1:30-1:50 Second The students will have a second recess at this time monitored by the teacher. This time will
Recess also be used as another bathroom and water break, but the teacher will not that students are
allowed to use the bathroom at other times throughout the day. The hand signal for
bathroom and water will be taught during morning meeting of the day and reiterated at this
time.
End of the day
- School ends at 2:25
1:50-2:15 Health The students will be taking a survey. The survey will be to learn more about student’s
health background. The survey will be on the chrome books, but a paper version will be
provided. The survey will ask students if they like flex seating, if they like Go noodle or
have ever done it, if they like having yoga, what kind of foods they like, what kind of
foods they do not like, what activities they do, and if there is anything else the teacher
should know. This survey will help the teacher know more about the students and learn
what else needs to be covered in health throughout the school year. The teacher will be
circulating the room as the students are working on their survey to be ready to answer any
questions that students have.
2:15-2:25 Pack Up Students will be put all materials away in their desks, pick up any garbage around them
and Dismissal and throw it away, empty mailboxes, and sit back in their seats. Once all students are
seated waiting quietly the students will dismissed by table to grab their lunchbox from the
cart and backpacks from the hook. Then the students will line up in two lines, bus line and
walker/carpool line. The students will wait in a level 1 voice (able to talk quietly) until the
bell rings. Students are expected to walk out of the room, not run. Walk with the students
as they are leaving and go to the blacktop to greet any parents who came to pick up their
students. Say goodbye to students and let them know how excited you are for this school
year with them.