Kindergarten!!

[rdhdsnippet]

So the beginning of kindergarten is nearly upon us and I was wondering if any of my friends had any good ideas for special things to do to mark the event, and/or perhaps traditions to start that go on as "first day of school" each year?

Comments

[musicman]

An" I love You" in his lunchbox, and a special treat for after school?

[rdhdsnippet]

We do school lunch, but maybe in his bookbag or cubby! Thanks!

[rdhdsnippet]

Yeah, I suppose we should go buy a new outfit, huh? Harder to make that kind of thing exciting for boys, but gymboree normally turns up something!

[aelf]

First Day of School Pictures. Special Breakfast. If you do height marks on a doorway, first day of school can be one to do. Packing the backpack the night before. Putting a note in the backpack or lunch.

Is he going to Kindergarten at the same place he went for preschool? Zoe was remarkably unimpressed because K was no different from preschool. It wasn't until she switched schools that she was all "oh, this is different, this is a big deal."

[rdhdsnippet]

Yeah, same place. I'd considered picking out the first grade and going there, but we love his school and we can keep him in a bilingual class a year longer this way - there are no bilingual lower elementary schools in Loudoun, which is... insane.

The school does segregate the kindergartners out of the mixed aged Montessori classroom, so I think there will be enough differences to make it special.

[geminigirl]

Jewish tradition teaches that learning should always be sweet-little boys, at age three when they start formal schooling trace their letters in honey. Messy but cute. :) I'm sure there are ways to adapt this tradition to suit your family.

One tradition I love is the German tradition of Schuletute. I know you can buy premade ones, or make and fill your own with an alarm clock, pencils, crayons and other treats.

[rdhdsnippet]

Oh, nice! Considering part of his heritage is German, that could be fun too! Thanks for the idea. :)

[beah]

In addition to new school clothes, how about supplies? I remember picking out my Trapper Keeper folders, or a new backpack, or a set of markers and one of those zip-close, heavy plastic bags for keeping them in. Something he can keep in his cubby, maybe? I'm also totally in favor of love notes.

[rdhdsnippet]

Yeah, we just got a supply list which is what drove home "OMG I have a kindergartner!!!". It's pretty minor, but we could do an outing of it.