Linda Shalaway

Clip and Save Checklist: Getting Ready for the First Day of School

first day of school

• 1. Plan your bulletin boards.

• 2. Decide where you want to post announcements, menu, and calendar.

• 3. Prepare a welcome back display.

• 4. Designate boards for subject area work, and boards for students to design.

• 5. Decide where you want to display your students\' original work.

• 6. Set up two or three learning centers to get started.

• 7. Create signs for your room to help your students learn classroom rules and routines.

• 8.  Prepare your class rolls and permanent records.

• 9. Post a cheery sign with your name outside the door along with a class list. Students and parents will appreciate it when they go looking for the right room.

• 10. Make student name tags for desks (unless you are planning to have the students make their own).

• 11. Find out your students\' schedules for lunch, gym, art, music, and library.

• 12. Gather and organize all your supplies: Textbooks and supplemental materials, Plan books, Classroom reading books and read-aloud titles, Attendance materials Paper clips, Various types of paper (e.g., writing, construction, math), Folders Different kinds of tape, Grade book Rubber bands, Stapler and staples Pencils/pens, Tissues

• 13. Prepare take-home packets for your students. Some of the items you\'ll want to include are: Emergency forms, School rules, Supply list, Bus or transportation rule, Welcome message to parents/request for room parents

• 14. Find out which students may be going to special classes.

• 15. Check out library books for students and books for read alouds.

• 16. Set up a folder for a substitute to use in case of emergency, containing the following: Daily schedule Seating chart, Reproducible activities

• 17. Prepare a file for correspondence from parents.

• 18. Prepare a file for faculty bulletins.

• 19. Obtain a copy of state and district curriculum standards.

• 20. Write tentative lesson plans for the coming week.

• 21. Make copies of materials you\'ll be handing out during the first few days.

• 22. Write your name and other important class information on the board.

• 23. Make a checklist for returned forms (can be used later for report cards and other items).