First Day-In the Books!

Walking into the room this morning was such an amazing experience for us!  The morning started with the staff running around putting the finishing touches on the day's agenda and activities.  And then the kids came through the doors!

Some people may expect sad faces and slow feet as the end of summer and the beginning of school arrived, but not at WES!  Kids were rushing to their rooms looking for familiar faces and teachers to hug.  Parents were handing out well wishes to teachers and kids alike as they left the building.

Our learning space looked fabulous, but the big question was-would it work as an actual classroom?  The answer we found today?  Yup!  It sure will.

We spent most of the morning talking about expectations that the students had for themselves and their teachers.  We brainstormed, shared, discussed and created a short list of qualities anyone can see when they step into our learning space.  We ended our morning with a wonderful short video that gave a great start to a discussion about treating others with respect and kindness, no matter the situation.

The afternoon was full of some time getting reacquainted with Dreambox, completing a review of summer activity and ending the day with a great read-aloud.  Oh, and of course, recess was squashed in there too.

It was awesome to see the students hop right into the activities ready to grow and learn again. We are so excited to see what this year brings.  After such a fabulous day, there is no doubt we are headed for success!

Kids working on Dreambox!  After a little chaos getting everyone logged in, the kids got right to work. 

The beanbag chairs and couch quickly became the quiet, comfy place we were hoping it would be.