What's Your Favorite Back to School Activity?

So for my 2nd post on this new blogging adventure, I am attempting to link up with Fun in First Grade's What's your favorite Back to School Activity linky party.  This party has given me so many good ideas and a couple of new books to use.  Again, I have no clue what I am doing or if this will be done successfully but here I go.

The first day of school is always so daunting and scary for me even as I am approaching my 10th year teaching.  It always seems so chaotic.  I have yet to find the best solution to this problem (If anyone actually reads this and has suggestions, I am all ears).  I typically beg Publix for extra paper bags as I go shopping each week so that I have one nice big back for each one of my little darlings to put their school supplies in.  I place a bag on each desk and when they come in, ask them to put all of their supplies in the bag and then to put the bag next to their desk.  I don't even pass out supplies until after the 5 day count just in case we have to add/take away a unit and move kiddies around.

Once they are done with that, I have some playdough, books, and coloring activites to keep them busy while I am dealing with parents and other situations that always seem to arise, especially making sure I know exactly how each little one is getting home.

Once the bell has rung, the parents are gone and all is mostly calm, we can begin the fun.  This year I am going to use the books "First Day Jitters," "Splat the Cat Goes Back to School," and "The Night Before First Grade."  I found some awesome extension activities on TPT and other blogger websites to go along with these books. 

Of Course we will also go over the rules, expectations and procedures. 

When I taught Kg, I always used the Gingerbread Man and went on a tour of the school.  I am half tempted to do this again with my little firsties.  It is so much fun and I have missed that little guy!  We used to make a huge gingerbread man cookie and take it to the cafeteria to have it baked, then we would go get him he had run away and left us a clue.  I don't think I will make the huge cookie but it might be fun to buy some already made gingerbread men cookies to have as a snack when we get back from looking for the clues. 

Our district Instructional Focus calendar has us starting our Math program day 1.  Seriously???  Maybe I will, maybe I won't.  Rebel here!!  I will definitely have the students graph how we get home and we will see where it goes from there.

So that is pretty much it.  The first day with students is more than 2 weeks away but I am already so nervous.  I never sleep the night before.  Is this normal?

See ya later!

Tamara