First Day of school

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First Day of school
By Janet

As you are trying to set the scene for the year to follow it is important to include all the stakeholders in your activities so..... invite parents, welcome year 1 students and students new to other year levels as well as
celebrating the return of everyone else -- including STAFF!
I've had groups make up paper patchwork quilts using wrapping paper as the background for each segment and used lined paper (Yrs 2-7) and placing (YR1) and we have written a welcome to our school or a thank-you for letting me be part of our school (New kids) on the lined section.
The whole thing was then put on display in

the library.
Take photos of all the kids - you'll need to have a couple of colour cartridges ready but if you put a few in the one picture it helps. Make the poses very informal and let the parents take the photos. Make up into a collage for display under a WELCOME TO........ banner.
One school I heard about had a prayer said by the school captains blessing the safe return of all school members. Another had the RE teachers unite to say a prayer over the tools of the trade .... chalk, dusters, books, pencils etc. hope that they would aide the students in the coming year.
Hope this helped a bit.
I'll ask they rest of our staff (school 460) for any other ideas.
I understand what you are trying to do as I've done most of my teaching at small schools (100 or so)
Best of Luck
Janet