Construction Kids Hard At Word

I am thrilled to be back to school with the kiddos!  We had a really busy, productive first day!  I am so excited to work with this bunch!  I wanted to show you the bulletin board outside my first grade classroom. 

I always start the year with the "first grade is very different than kindergarten" talk.  Our kindergarten has rest time, which is not continued in first grade.  I know from experience that the children complain about rest time in kindergarten, but will complain that they are tired and need a nap in first grade.  While we are talking about all the hard work we will do in first grade, I bring out a large gift wrapped box.  I tell the students that if they are going to be working hard, they will need a few things to get started.  Then I open the gift box and pass out yellow plastic hard hats that have "I'm An Official First Grader" stickers on them.

Then I remind the students that every hard worker needs a tool box.  Now this is very different from kindergarten because the students have community tools in kindergarten.  In first grade they have their own tools kept in their own toolboxes!  This is very exciting to them!  We begin the year with a pencil, eraser, and small pack of crayons.  As the year progresses they will receive a glue stick, scissors, highlighter, small pack of post-its, and a black sharpie.  Each tool is introduced in the gift box for a bit of added suspense!  I love first grade!

Alrighty, that is it for today!  I have to get to bed early to be ready to do it all over again!  Aren't we the luckiest bunch!
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