The beginning of the year is always a whirlwind with the first few days of school and Open House/Visitation. Whether you have your Open House/Visitation before school starts, or once the year is already in full swing, it’s still a huge undertaking!
Today I’m sharing with you my 5 favorite tips for your Open House or Visitation!
Here’s the outside of my classroom. Those cute little monkeys are actually PAPER PLATES from The Dollar Tree! Who woulda guessed!? I used a simple bow template and cut the bows out of pink paper (for girls) and blue paper (for boys). All of my incoming kinders LOVED finding their monkey!
When families came in, they headed straight to the back of our room to my guided reading table. Do you love the cute signs? The frames were only $1 from IKEA! Here’s a close up at each of the stations:
I had the grown ups sign in when they first entered. This told me who attended visitation. {surprisingly, a lot of my kinders wrote their own names on the “student name” lines!!!}
Next, the grownups helped the students go on a scavenger hunt throughout the room. They had a blast!
Then, the families chose a teacher information magnet to take home with them! They all loved the idea of being able to keep my information on their fridge.
Here is the “Question of the Day” that the students answered as number 1 on their Scavenger Hunt. Sorry for the glare, it reads “Are you excited to start kindergarten?” Number 2 had the students find the bathroom and flush the VERY LOUD toilet. Then, they checked out my “Spotted!” bulletin board that told all about me. Next, they located their coat hook so that they knew where to hang their backpack on the first day of school. The Scavenger Hunt ended with students finding their seats. On their table, I left an envelope filled with all of the sheets that I wanted parents to complete and return to school (photograph permission, class website information, students information, etc.) I also left them some Ready Confetti- one of my favorite new projects for this year!
Visitation ended with a practice bus ride for the kindergarteners! It was a great day! How do you run your visitation or open house? Leave me a comment!
{All of the resources pictured in this blog post can be found in my Back to School Night Teacher Must Haves pack here!}
Did you buy those magnets or make them? I really want magnets with my information for Meet the Teacher night!
Hi Miss Fisher!
I made them! They are part of my Back To School Night Teacher Must Haves pack on TpT. Here is the link if you are interested: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Night-Teacher-Must-Haves-1355795
They are so wonderful, and my parents love them!
Enjoy!
Gina
What did you use for your ready confetti? I've never heard of that, but it sounds like fun.
Hi Heather!
It's just a little thing I give out to students when they come to Open House. There's a poem inside, and a little packet of confetti. The poem essentially tells them to sprinkle the confetti under their pillow the night before the first day of school, and they will have a great year. It's in my Back to School Night Teacher Must Haves pack if you're interested!
Gina
Do you have a closer preview of the magnets? It was hard for me to see what's on them.
Hi Kristen!
I don't think I have a closer picture, but it's my name, classroom number, email, and school phone number.
Hope that helps!
Gina
What size are you pencil magnets?
Hello there,
I am very interested in the pencil magnets but I am a little confused on how you made them? Did you print them yourself? Order them? Love the question of the day as well, where did you get those circle things?
-Tabby
http://www.atabforteaching.blogspot.com
Hi Tabby!
The pencil magnets are a printable file so you print them on either white or colored cardstock (they come in both a colored and black and white version). Then, you just cut them out and put a magnet on the back. I like to use the magnets that have adhesive so you can just stick them on, but you can also hot glue magnets as well!
The round pizza pans for my Question of the Day are just from The Dollar Tree! They have rectangular ones as well!
Thanks for visiting!
Gina
What are the frames from Ikea called? i can't find them.
What platform do you use for your class website? I was reading that information page and I don't think my Shutterfly account does all that much. Would love to try something new!
I am definitely enjoying your website. You definitely have some great insight and great stories.
Friends of education