What is it about the first day of school that is so exciting? Students don their new backpacks, put on new outfits and excitedly wait to meet their new teacher and classmates. For those of us that homeschool, kids get excited about the new curriculum and activities, and getting back to a routine. No matter the location, a first day is something to be remembered. As such, here are 12 ways to help make this year’s first day of school extra special.

12 Ways to Make the First Day of School Special

1. The first day of school can be an exciting time for teachers and students, but it can be an anxious time, too. What can you do to make sure your students (and you!) feel at home in the classroom on that first day? Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy for more information. 20 First Day of School Ideas Here are 20 surefire tips that will make your.
2. Happy First Day Of School 1st Day Of School GIF SD GIF HD GIF MP4. Share to iMessage. Share to Facebook. Share to Twitter. Share to Reddit.

1. A new outfit. Go shopping with your child ahead of time, and let them choose a new outfit to wear on the first day of school. Maybe even help them with a new hairdo or nail color if they cannot do so themselves.

A photo posted by Kathy Gossen (@cornerstonekat) on

1. New school supplies. Similar to number one, go shopping with your child ahead of time, and let them choose out some new school supplies for the year.
2. Back-to-school pictures. We like to take our first day of school pictures the evening before as the first day of school is always crazy, but take them whenever you like. The nice thing about taking them the night before for us is that when they finish taking their pics, they take their clothes back off, and lay them out for the first day of school. For even more back-to-school picture tips, check out this article which includes a link to several free back-to-school printables.
3. Balloons. Who wouldn’t smile upon waking up to a roomful of balloons? Or even one tied to their breakfast chair? Either way, nothing says celebration like balloons.
4. Ride in the car. If your child normally walks to school, maybe drive them this first day. If you homeschool, you can still pretend to drive to school too. My girls love piling into the car and driving out the garage door and back in. They think it makes every school day better. 😉

On the first day of school, teacher Sandra Doughman serves up a delicious little activity that makes a great bulletin board too! Doughman starts by handing a paper plate to each student in her class. 'I ask each student to draw on the plate something that he or she feels is special about himself or herself,' Doughman told Education World. 6 Messages Every Student Should Hear On The First Day Of School by Terry Heick & Jackie Gerstein For specific training and professional development around technology integration, contact TeachThought Professional Development to bring Jackie Gerstein and other TeachThought professionals to your school today. Sep 7, 2015 - 'So excited to have a smartie like you in my class this year!' A tag to add to a packet of Smarties for a first day of school student gift!

A photo posted by Kathy Gossen (@cornerstonekat) on

1. Ride the bus. If your child normally rides in the car to school, maybe they would like to ride the bus. Homeschoolers, you can pretend here too. Make the couch the bus, and let the kids “ride” it to school. Be sure to give them a goodbye hug and kiss before they hop on (maybe before they leave the house so they don’t get embarrassed).
2. Back-to-school basket. Consider giving them a back-to-school present for the first day of school. Maybe it is a book they have been wanting to read or a stuffed animal they have been waiting for. Maybe it is some of those “special” school supplies like a designer notebook or a beautiful sketch pad. Place the item in a gift basket by their door so they see it when they first wake up.
3. A special breakfast. What would your kids choose as their favorite breakfast? Pancakes? Cinnamon rolls? Happy faced oatmeal? A trip to the donut shop? Consider making their favorite breakfast for the first day of school. Just keep in mind that the first day of school can sometimes be chaotic so plan ahead. You want to have plenty of time to make AND eat that special breakfast.

A photo posted by Kathy Gossen (@cornerstonekat) on

9. A special lunch. Pack a special lunch for the first day or include a special note to encourage your child during school. Need some ideas? Kids Activities Blog has over 500 printable lunchbox notes that make it easy.
10. A special after-school snack. What would make that after school time special? A popsicle? A cookie? Peanut butter and apple at the park?[bctt tweet=”Make the first day of school special with one of these simple ideas!” username=”kathygossen”]
11. Create a time capsule. In it you may want to include a back-to-school pic, a short video of your child answering a questionaire, or even the questionaire itself. Save the capsule until the last day of school, and then let them open it to see how much they’ve grown.
12. Look forward to their homecoming. Let them know you missed them while they were at school. If they ride the bus, watch for them through the front window. If you pick them up, be ready to hear all about their day during the car ride home. If you homeschool, provide an opportunity for you kids to tell the non-teacher in the family about their day.

Above all, never forget to give them an extra hug and kiss and an “I love you” before sending them off. You might even want to write it on their hands like Jennifer does with her children. This will most likely be what they remember most.

What do you like to do to make your children’s first day of school special?

Everyone is a bit nervous before their first driving lesson. We understand your fear, and we wrote this article to help reduce your fear by giving you an overview of a typical Lesson #1:

The NO List

• NO freeway driving on the 1st lesson
• NO angry instructors
• NO cheating you out of lesson time

Pick-up

Your driving instructor will arrive on time. If your instructor is delayed for any reason, we will contact you to explain the situation. Please be ready to go when we arrive. You should bring the following items with you:

• Your Instruction Permit
• Corrective lenses in necessary (ie. glasses or contacts)
• Sunglasses (If your lesson is scheduled during daylight hours, especially early morning or late afternoon)
• A comfortable pair of shoes (Heels, platforms, and sandals are not advised)

If you have a cell phone, we would appreciate you turning it off, or onto silent mode. You don’t want your Arianna Grande ringtone going off in the middle of your first U-turn, do you? 😀

The first time you get in the car with your instructor, you will be in the passenger seat. We never start a student driver out in their own neighborhood. Why? Because having your family and friends snapping pictures, and peeking out from windows as you get behind-the-wheel will make you nervous. Your instructor will drive you a short distance to a quiet residential street.

Getting In The Driver Seat

Our training car is very customizable, to allow students of all heights to control the car comfortably. Your instructor will help you to adjust the seat, steering wheel, mirrors, and seat belts. If you have never driven a car before, don’t worry! Your instructor will also identify the basic control for you.

Start Your Engines!

Now, onto the fun part. Your first driving exercise will be a short trip around the block. The purpose of this drive is to allow the instructor to evaluate your starting skill level, and to give you a chance to get a feel for the training car. This is not a graded assignment. It’s OK if you don’t know what you’re doing, your instructor will not allow you to hit anything, or damage the training car. 😉

Circles And Circles

The next driving exercise will be completing basic right and left turns. Your instructor will teach you how and when to use the gas, brake, and steering wheel to make the car go where you’d like it to go. You will also learn how and when to use the turn signals, understanding and following the speed limits, and visual search/hazard avoidance techniques. The amount of time spent on this exercise varies, depending on your starting skill level, and your ability to learn and retain new skills. At some point during this exercise you may begin to realize that you ARE DRIVING A CAR, AND IT IS FUN! Smiling and laughing may occur. Your instructor will smile and laugh with you. Congratulations, and welcome to Drive Happy 😀

Big Roads

The next exercise will introduce traffic and main roads. You will be leaving the quiet area and practicing right and left turns at major intersections controlled by lights. You will also learn how to locate and obey posted speed limits higher than 25mph. With more cars on the road, you will also how to measure and maintain a safe following distance, sharing the road with bicyclists and pedestrians, making protected and un-protected left turns, and how to make a right turn on a red light. Advanced students may also basic lane changes.

Winding Down

As you approach the last 30 minutes of your first driving lesson, you instructor will begin directing you towards your home. You will get to drive in your own neighborhood. We may also cover the skill of curb parking, and backing in a straight line. Very few new skills are introduced in the last 30 minutes because you have already absorbed an enormous amount of information and are starting to fatigue. At the end of the lesson, you will learn how to park in your driveway.

De-briefing

Having returned safely to your own driveway, your instructor will congratulate you on your progress and re-cap your lesson. Please do not ask your instructor if you are the worst driver we have ever seen. The answer will always be no. You are not a bad driver, you are a student driver! The instructor will then take the time to meet with your parents/guardian/spouse/etc. Your mom probably wants to get a picture of your sitting in the driver seat. Make mom happy, and don’t worry, this happens all the time! 😉

If no one is home, we will schedule a phone call or e-mail update.

Homework & Sceduling Your Next Lesson

Your instructor will probably give you a homework assignment. Don’t worry, it will be something fun (ie. go out and drive often, practice those right turns, watch the videos on our website, etc.) We will also try to schedule your next driving lesson. We are very flexible, however we suggest lessons to be no more than 2 weeks apart. If you are not able to practice in-between lesson we suggest that your lessons be as close together as possible. Repetition is the way to build good habits, drive often and you will drive safe.

This is what you can expect from your first driving lesson. Please remember that every student is an individual and there are slight variations from lesson to lesson depending on a multitude of factors. If you have any questions or comments, share them in the comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and Drive Happy! 🙂

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