We're Off to a GREAT Start!

We had a GREAT first day back.  I'm exhausted ... but it's a good exhausted.  This year I have 28 students in my grade 5/6 class - 7 students in grade 5, and 21 students in grade 6.  Because half of my students are new to my school this year (we amalgamated with another school), we spent a lot of today getting to each other and building new relationships.

We started out with a team-building activity I found on Science Gal's blog.  She has a wonderful set of instructions to follow.  Students had to work together to build a pyramid with their solo cups, using strings and an elastic band.  They LOVED it!

When we were finished, each group (I have 5 groups in the class) worked together to build a list of 4 key points they learned about how to successfully work in groups.  They then had to narrow down their points to their top 2, and together, we built an anchor chart entitled, "The Secret to Success This Year".  (I'm sorry - I forgot to grab a pic of it).  My absolute favourite point (and the first one they gave me) was "We will learn from our mistakes."  Couldn't ask for more than that!

Later in the day, we worked on our "Math About Me" pennants.  Although each students completed his or her own pennant, we worked together through the activity, discussing what each question meant and how to solve it.  As students finished, I hung the pennants on our math bulletin board.  LOVE how it turned out.  I've uploaded this little template to google docs if you would like to share it with your class.  Click HERE to download your own copy.  

We started our first read aloud of the year - The One and Only Ivan.  I read it with my own girls this summer, and they LOVED it.  And I'm pretty sure the class is hooked already.  :)  I've got a little surprise coming to my class this week, and I can't wait until it gets here (no - it's not a real gorilla - lol).  

We finished the day by writing our "I Am ..." poems.  I have these templates available as a freebie on my TPT site.  Click HERE to see them.  As students completed, I gave them a sheet of construction paper, had them fold it in half, and then asked them to draw the top half of their heads on the top half on the sheet.  The sheet would be glued on the bottom half.  They also need to draw in their fingers as if they are holding up the paper.  About half of the class finished before the end of the day, and I can't wait until they are all done tomorrow so I can hang them outside the classroom as our first big display.  :)

I have a feeling it's going to be a fabulous year.  And as exhausted as I am, I am still excited to sit down and finish planning for tomorrow.  Happy Tuesday!!!