You’re Finally Here Activities

Have the best first day ever with the most perfect back to school book, You’re Finally Here! by Melanie Watt! Inside this resource is a full week of activities that your students will love and that are perfect for the first week of school.

Filled with fresh ideas for getting to know you, icebreakers, manners, partner games, and an adorable class-made anchor chart. It also includes goal setting, a writing craft, and a booklet students make to explain what took them so long to get to your class!

All materials that have a grade level on them are included in these grades:

• Kindergarten-Fifth Grade
• Prep Year-Year 5
• Grade 1-Grade 5

Don’t miss the video! I have added a YouTube link to an adorable read aloud book video I made to go with this unit. Please note: I have also linked the video to one of the digital activity slides, so you will need to make sure your school has not blocked YouTube for the video to play on the actual slide. Otherwise, you can play the video in your classroom.

I’ve included activities and journal writing prompts to introduce students to journal routines, take a beginning of the year writing baseline, and teach procedures for working with a partner. Intended for Grades 1-3, some of the activities may be adapted for Kindergarten.

The included back to school bulletin board doubles as a first day photo booth backdrop with first day photo signs for grades K-5 (including Canadian, UK and Australian grade levels.). I’ve even included student gift tags & desk notes to welcome your class to Meet the Teacher Night and the first day of school.

Here’s How It Works:

The very impatient book character bunny is waiting and waiting for his readers to arrive! When they finally do, he is overjoyed! I read the book on the first day of school and tell my new class, that just like the book character, I have been waiting, and waiting, and WAITING for them to arrive! And they’re finally here! Priceless responses follow when I ask, very dramatically, “What took you so long?”. Every year my class LOVES this book and all the activities, and I know yours will too!

You’re Finally Here Activities Included:

• You’re Finally Here! Read Aloud Book Video
• 5 days of digital activities on Google Slides
• 5 days of digital activities preloaded into Seesaw
• Class anchor chart with chart parts
• How are you doing so far? Social/emotional writing activity
• What took you so long? Hilarious student booklet
• Icebreakers
• Getting to know you activities
• School manners
• Character traits activity
• Goal setting character craft
• Partner games
• Roam the Room game
• Journal writing prompts
• Taking a writing baseline activity
• First day desk notes & gift tags
• Bulletin board title lettering
• First day photo signs (Grades K-5 in US, UK, Canadian, and Australian grade levels)
• Kindergarten-Fifth Grade
• Prep Year-Year 5
• Grade 1-Grade 5

All resources included in color and black and white.

*Please download the preview to see everything included.

Happy teaching!

Linda Kamp

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