Celebrate a Great Year Virtual Style
I think the hardest part of distance learning has been letting go of not seeing the “sweet spot” of Kindergarten unfold.
March, April, May is when the magic happens.
Those are the months where the pieces come together.
It amazes me every year.
To come in so little and grow so much before they become first graders.
It is one of my favorite parts of K!
Not to mention it is when you get to celebrate a year of learning together.
Closure happens and you prepare for summer and relaxation.
This year is unlike any other.
We have to think outside of the box as we prepare for end of the year festivities.
One way I like to celebrate the end of the year is through a Spirit Week.
End of the Year Spirit Week
I LOVE the ABC Countdowns that I always see at the end of the school year, but I have found that 26 days is a LONG time for Kindergarten students to celebrate.
For the past few years we have condensed our countdown to the last five days of school and it has worked out well!
To celebrate a great year in Kindergarten and the transition to First Grade we use the word “FIRST” and on each day we do a spirit day
When we are in school we usually do…
- Favorite Board Game (bring your favorite board game to play)
- Indoor Recess (extra indoor recess)
- Read in your Pajamas (Kindergarten PJ Day)
- Send a note to First Grade (write a letter to a first grade teacher)
- Treat Day(Popsicle day)
Since we will not be at school this year to celebrate I created a virtual version to use with my families.
Virtual Version:
- Furry Friend (bring a stuffed animal to our Zoom Lesson)
- Internet Game (play a game online together)
- Read in our Pajamas (wear your PJs during our Zoom Lesson)
- Show and Share (show and tell during our Zoom Lesson)
- Treat Day (eat a treat during our lesson)
There is also a SUMMER version in case FIRST doesn’t work for your class.
- Share a Favorite Memory
- Under the Sea (wear beach gear to our Zoom Lesson)
- Make your Hair Crazy (crazy hair day on Zoom)
- Move and Groove (dance party on Zoom)
- Eat a Treat (bring a treat to eat during our Zoom Lesson)
- Read in our PJs (Wear your PJs to our Zoom Lesson)
***On the 1st day-Share a Favorite Memory- I am going to write down each memory and put them together for the class.
Then I thought I could send it to them as our last snail mail!
Click the picture below to access the Spirit Week Letter
Memory Book
Memory Books are a great way to reflect and remember the year.
During the last few weeks of school we usually complete one page a day as a whole class activity.
This year I am going to try different ways to write our memory books online.
In our Google Classroom I am going to give each student their own digital version of a memory book.
Then they can complete one page a day and we can talk about each page during our Zoom Lesson.
I am also going to email one page a day.
Families can have the option to print and complete a paper version.
I know that everyone’s situation is different so I just wanted to give a variety of options to meet the needs of all my students.
Each day I will talk about the memory page of the day during our Zoom Lesson and model how to complete.
End of the Year and Summer Activities
I always like to give my students a few activities to complete during the summer to continue their learning.
Summer Bingo Board-Reading, Writing, and Math Activities
As odd as the end of this school year is, enjoy the last few weeks with your kiddos.
This will definitely be a school year we will never forget.
We are resourceful and resilient and we will figure this out!
Hang in there, we got this!
Take Care,
