To Do: Get New Ideas? Check!

I know you are starting to get that nervous, giddy energy as August approaches! The store shelves are filled with new school supplies, the sale papers are filled with great deals, and your mind is filled with To Do lists yet to be done. One task on my To Do list every year before school starts is to add at least one new idea to my toolbox of Back To School ideas. I've got two ideas for you that I have loved using for several years now.


IDEA 1
The first idea I got from my mother several years ago, and she passed it along from someone she knew. On the first day of school I gave the parents homework instead of the students. This in itself was a huge hit with 5th graders! I sent home a letter asking the parents to write to me, In a Million Words or Less, about their child. I explained that I did not care about spelling or grammar, but about what they had to share. They could email me, etc. and I always gave a deadline just to help them have a goal. Every year I received a letter from at least half the parents and often more. In almost every letter they would thank me for allowing them to tell about their precious child, and then would share valuable information. Those letters were always completely confidential and I would often read back through them throughout the year. Here is an example of the letter:

                                                                      

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

   Welcome to the new school year! As we begin the year, I look forward to getting to know your child. I am writing to ask for your help. As a parent, I think you are truly your child’s first teacher. I want to become a partner with you in your child’s education. Would you help me to get to know your child, as you do, by taking a moment to write to me? What is your fifth grader like at home? What things do you know about your child as a learner and a person? What are your child’s interests? Please take the next few days to respond, and return your letter by Monday, August 11th. You can return your response with your child or by e-mail (bbbbb@bbb). I am not at all concerned with spelling, etc., but with the information you have to share. Thank you in advance for your help!

         

                                                                                                                              Respectfully yours,

                                                                                                                              Sallye Swafford

The second idea is deserving of it's own post I think, and a little lengthy to explain.