GRANDPARENT DAY

I love genealogy, so I always did this project.  We wrote a letter to our grandparents, enclosing the questions (copied front and back).  Each grandparent needs their own questions.  There is also a worksheet that tells the price of items then and now.  The students found that very interesting.
I had a 1 in. binder that I divided with the student names.  The cover was labeled Marvelous Memories.  When the letters came back from the grandparents, I would let the students share with the class and then add it to our Grandparent Binder.
We also filled out worksheets about our grandparents.  I think you could send these to grandparents or keep in the student Journal/Memory Book.
In addition to the letters, I sent home the grandparent tree.  I asked the parents to fill it out, as needed, due to the space limitations.  These family trees went into our "Family Tree" Class Booklet.  The students enjoyed both these books all year.  At the end of the year, I made sure to add these precious papers to their Journal/Memory Books.

GP letter put inside of cover.

Cover for letter to GP.

COMING TO AMERICA - OUR ANCESTORS

When November rolls around and you are talking about Pilgrims, pull this worksheet out for the students to fill out at home.  Have them draw a detailed picture of their ancestors coming to America and color it neatly.  While students are working, you can read the following book:

Coming To America: The Story Of Immigration by Betsy Maestro and Susannah Ryan

This makes a great Class Book for your Reading Corner.  Remember to put it in the Journal/Memory Book at the end of the year.  You might also post these on your website for parents to enjoy.

CLASSY PRINTS - FINGERPRINTING

 

 

October is the month to celebrate Finger Printing and discussing why we do it.  Send the I.D. ME page home for parents to help their child fill out the information.  Have your students come to you to fingerprint them.  I used the stamp ink pad from my desk.The other students can be drawing a detailed picture of themselves and coloring it neatly. This is definitely a page that will go into the Journal/Memory Book after the students are finished reading the Class Book in the Quiet Corner.  Notice the cover is a picture made from finger tips.
See additional papers if you wish to extend the project: COMPREHENSION, SCIENCE INVESTIGATION, FUN ACTIVITIES from Copycat Press http://stores.ebay.com/Copycat-Store

WELCOME STUDENT TO YOUR CLASS

Don't forget to write a Welcome Letter to your new students if you get the opportunity.  Everyone loves mail and if you have limited time, use the computer to type your letter and then change the name of the student.  Copy the letter on school related stationary for a nice touch.  
Also, after the first day of school, get on the phone immediately, and call your students.  You may have to leave messages, but that is fine.  It's the thought that counts.  I called from school.  To call 25 students takes about an hour of your time, but it is well-spent.  Let them know you enjoy having them in your class, you are looking forward to a great year, and you hope they had a good first day.  Tell them to go play outside, enjoy the rest of the day and you can hardly wait to seeing them tomorrow.  Parents love both these thoughtful gestures.  It starts the new year on a positive note.

FOUR GENERATIONS - GRANDPARENT TREES

This makes a cute booklet for the children to look at through the year.  

Before doing this project read one of the following:

Who's Who in My Family by Loreen Leedy

Me and My Family Tree by Joan Sweeney

Climbing Your Family Tree by Ira Wolfman

http://www.wikitree.com/printable/family-tree-diagram.html#alternate-diagrams  is a site that is full of different types of grandparent trees or you can use one you have on hand.

I would send the Family Tree Chart home so parents can help.  Younger students might need a parent to fill it out for them since space is usually very small.

FAMILY MEMO PAD

Send a small gift home at the end of the year that will remind your students the year.  Give each student white construction paper to draw a picture of their family members.  You might lightly draw a guide line showing where you will staple the Family Memo Sheets.  That way none of the important part of the picture will be covered.  Make sure students use a lot of detail, covering all of the space.  Use markers if you wish the picture to be bright and colorful and you are thinking about laminating it; otherwise crayons give more color choices.  Copy about 12 memo sheets per child.  I put four on a page so each child would get 3 pages.  Have students cut out the memo sheets carefully and neatly.  You need a long arm stapler to attach the memo sheets to the child's picture.  Then send home!

TOP 10 REASONS I LOVE MOM & DAD

Easy, quick, Mother's Day or Father's Day Card.  Cost is minimal - depending if you can get envelopes from the supply room or you can make envelopes from brown paper sacks.  Follow directions for ENVELOPE.  Encourage best coloring and handwriting.


ENVELOPE
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/cards/curvedenvelope/template.shtml
Carefully cut out the envelope (you could use a pinking shears instead of a regular scissors to give your envelope an unusual jagged finish)

Fold over the flaps, one at a time, on top of the central square. When you get to the last flap, gently push one edge of the flap under the first flap.

Address your envelope on the other side.
You now have an unusual envelope/letter with curved flaps. If you want to seal it, you can either tape the flaps down securely or put a pretty sticker where the four flaps meet.

BUNNY BAKES

MARCH READING ACTIVITES CALENDAR

HEART ART AT HOME

A NICE HOME PROJECT FOR ALL AGES!  Assignment is to make  HEART ART from the heart that is sent home.  Parents and students are to participate.  Look at what a 3rd grade class did at HOME.

YEAR OF THE FAMILY

I made this a Class Book at the beginning of the year.  It helped to have an idea what kind of family your students came from.  Make sure you erase 1994 at the top of the page.  If you do not want to have "Family Day" for each student, put this on their "Star of the Week" Bulletin Board.  You can delete the top portion of the page.  Have the students take home so parents can help them fill in the questions.  The students can use the page to help them talk about their family. Make sure to make a copy for your class book, before you  put the papers away for Star of the Week.  See STAR OF THE WEEK in Beginning of the Year.

EVERY YEAR SHOULD BE ABOUT FAMILY 
This page is from Copycat Magazine - out of print - see below.     

eBay Store - copycat: copycat magazine, k-3 teachers, back issues

After 20 years, Copycat Press Inc. has closed. Copycat Magazine is a teacher's resource for grades K-3, and we have the only remaining unused inventory ...

stores.ebay.com/Copycat-Store