Hello Song
Tune: "Three Blind Mice"

Hello, _____, Hello, _____
How are you? How are you?
We're glad you're here to learn and play,
We know we'll have some fun today,
We love school everyday,
And so will you!

Hello Song
Tune: "Frere Jacques"

Hello, _____, hello, _____
How are you? How are you?
We're so glad to have you,
We're so glad to have you,
Here at school, here at school.

Off to School We Go
Tune: "A-hunting We Will Go"

Off to school we go,
Oh, it's off to school we go,
We'll take our lunch and ride the bus,
With everyone we know.
Off to school we go,
Oh, it's off to school we go,
We'll learn our ABC's and more,
With everyone we know.

I Like To Go To School
Tune: "Farmer in the Dell"

I like to go to school.
I like to go to school.
Heigh-ho-the-derry-oh,
I like to go to school.

I like to sing new songs.
I like to sing new songs.
Heigh-ho-the-derry-oh,
I like to sing new songs.

I like to play with friends.
I like to play with friends.
Heigh-ho-the-derry-oh,
I like to play with friends.

Who is Here Today?
Tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"

Let's see who is here today,
Who has come to join our play?
Everyone sit close at hand,
Say your name, then you can stand,
Let's see who is here today,
Who has come to join our play?

We Like to Come to School
Tune: "Farmer in the Dell"

We like to come to school,
We like to come to school.
Our school is such a happy place,
We like to come to school !
 

Welcome to Kindergarten
Tune:  "Deck the Halls"

Welcome to our kindergarten.
We will learn a lot of things today.
Here we are in kindergarten.
We will have a lot of time to play.
We will learn the alphabet and
We will learn how to write numbers, too.
We'll have fun in kindergarten
'Cause there are so many things to do!

Hello Neighbor, what do you say?
(Children bow to each other)
It's going to be a happy day.
(Children clap hands together)
So greet your neighbor,
(Children give each other high fives)
And boogie on down.
(Children wiggle their hips)
Give a clap,
(Children clap their hands together)
and turn around.
(Children turn around)

School Song
Tune:  "The Wheels on the Bus"

The name of my school is (school name), (school name), (school name).
The name of my school is (school name).
That's the name of my school.

Additional Verses:
The name of my teacher is . . .
The name of my principal is . . .

Welcome Poem

Welcome children, I'm glad you're here.
We're all going to have a wonderful year!
We'll draw and we'll write,
We'll sing and we'll play,
We'll paint and we'll build,
And learn new things each day!

I Am At School Today

This is an activity that we do every morning of the school year.  I hang a pocket chart near the classroom doorway.  I divide it into two columns:  "I am at school" and "I am at home".  Every morning as the children enter the classroom they find their name and move it to the "I am at school" column.  This is a great activity for learning to read names and for taking attendance! 

In the beginning of the year I use a photograph of each child.  Then I add their name to the photograph.  Next, I cut the photograph off and just show their name.  Finally, toward the end of the year I add their last names.

How Do You Travel to School Graph

We make a graph during the first week of school where the children answer the question, "How Do You Travel to School"  For each choice I have a small clip art picture that each child colors and writes their name on the front. 

The clipart pictures I use are
by foot:  sneaker
by car: car
by bus: bus
I find cute clipart in Carson Dellosa books!

When the children are finished coloring their pictures each child has a turn to tell the class how they travel to school and place it in the correct column on the graph.

I keep this graph beside my door all year long.  It is a great reference especially in the beginning of the year when trying to learn how everyone gets home.  Substitutes love it too!


"How Do You Travel to School?"

First Day of School Handprints

Print the following poem in the middle of a piece of paper. 
Have the children place both of their hands in washable ink and make one handprint on each side of the poem.
 (The Giant Washable Inkpads from Lakeshore are great for this!!)

Here are my hands with ten fingers in all.
My first mark in school to hang on the wall.
As years go by, I'll remember and say,
"My hands and I had a great first day!"

 Classroom Scavenger Hunt

Before school begins, take pictures of important classroom locations such as the bathroom, Morning Meeting center, coat rack, cubbies, etc.  Post the pictures on a large piece of chart paper.  Discuss the areas one at a time with the children and then have them go search for it.  When everyone has found it you can discuss that area in further detail
(such as bathroom rules etc). 

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Bulletin Board

I love reading this book during the first week of school.  It is a great introduction to what kindergarten is all about!  After reading the story I scatter white precut letters in the middle of our circle (I trace bulletin board letters and cut them out).  I ask if anyone recognizes any letters.  Then each child has a turn to find the letter that their name starts with.  After everyone has found their letter they go to their seat and decorate it with a variety of materials (sequins, tissue paper, crayons, scrap pieces etc).

On a different day I reread the story.  This time each child cuts out a brown circle shape for the coconuts.  I take each child's picture and glue it onto their coconut. 

I decorate my bulletin board with a large coconut tree with the words :
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Look Who's In Our Room!
Then I hang each child's decorated letter beside their coconut.

For more Chicka Chicka Boom Boom ideas see my Now I Know My ABC's page!

Don't forget to check out my other units for great Back to School ideas:

Getting to Know You
All About Names
Birthdays

This is always a favorite book for little ones who are nervous about starting school.  It is a story about a little raccoon that is ready to start school.  He talks about his fears to his mother, fears that most children have before beginning school. His mother comes up with a wonderful solution to help her little raccoon remember that she loves him and is thinking about him, even when she isn't with him.

Handprint Poem

Print the following poem for each child.  Have them make a handprint on one side of the poem (again, I love the Giant Washable Inkpads from Lakeshore!) 
When dry place a heart sticker in the middle of their handprint. 

Here's a special thing to do
When I am scared of leaving you.
Hold my hand, then kiss it here.
The kiss will help to keep you near.
It will help me through my day,
So I can work and learn and play.

Kissing Hand Fingerplay

Each day when I come to school
I tell someone good-bye;
(wave)
I get a kiss
(blow kiss)
or a nice warm hug
(hug yourself)
and I don't want to cry
(rub eyes)
I don't need to feel worried
or sad to see them go
(sad face)
because there is a special thing
that only I can know
(point to self)
I have a kiss that I can keep
(kiss palm of hand)
and use when I feel sad,
because I've got a "kissing hand"
(hold up hand)
that always makes me glad!

Kissing Hand Cookies

The night before the first day of school I bake handprint cookies using a hand shaped cookie cutter and refrigerated sugar cookies.  After baking I add a Hershey Kiss to the middle of the handprint.  Then we all enjoy them as an end of the day treat!