Leimarie Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 New here (and to homeschooling). Hello everyone! We are about to begin our first year of homeschooling and I can't seem to get a good idea on a "first day". I want to be sure to make it something special and commemorate the adventure we're beginning together as a family. So I thought I'd ask some veterans. Have you started a "first day" tradition? Or did your family depart the public school system for home, how did you commemorate the occasion? Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tam101 Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 I asked my son what he wanted to do to celebrate the first day and he said he wanted to go for ice cream. Easy enough! :tongue_smilie: Tomorrow is our first day, so after dinner we'll walk to Baskin Robbins. We have a club card and get cones for a buck on Monday's. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 Welcome to the boards and to homeschooling! :) Some folks I know prefer NOT to do school work on the first day of public school. Also, those first 2 weeks are great to go on field trips, b/c it's usually not crowded from summer tourists or school groups, so keep that in mind. Wait till you go to the library or a bookstore and enjoy the peace and quiet. *Happy sighing* I don't know the ages of your dc, but since you're new, you may want to gently establish a routine. Get in a groove for the basics and then add subjects as you get more comfortable. And I love reading to mine while we snuggle on my bed, or while they knit, build w/ Legos, hang upside down, do push-ups, etc. I hope that's part of your school time too, but that's special *everyday* w/ us. :) Happy homeschooling! Enjoy the journey. I am truly blessed by homeschooling mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Rivers Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 Welcome! I love the first day. :) We always have a first day picture and I make up a little first day worksheet. (also have a last day of each, so they know to look for these in their yearly scrapbooks. :)) It's fun to see these over the years. I include questions like "What is your favorite thing to do", how tall, things you hope to learn,etc. Fun to compare over the years. I also take that photo in the same place every year so they can see how they have grown. I think it was last year's LAST day actually, that they wanted to dress up in costumes for that picture. It's just a fun tradition. Whatever school supplies/treats that are new this year are "unveiled" on the first day as well. We do light schoolwork to introduce the new stuff, review some things, usually using a game to do so. Last year was our first doing workboxes, so that was a fun novelty for our first day. It's old hat now. :tongue_smilie: Then we'll go somewhere fun when the day is over like out for ice cream or a fun place for dinner. Fun day. I love school and want the kick-off to be a day to remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Kirsten~ Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 Welcome! Our local homeschooling community has a not-back-to-school picnic at a playground on the first day of school. I think even if they didn't, that would be a part of what we do on that first day when everyone else is back. I completely agree that I'm counting down the days, simply because I can't wait to get the park, the library, and all the cool places back all to ourselves again. That truly is awesome! Last year, on the official 2nd day of school, we did pictures, complete with little sheets I printed with their names and grade/ages. I didn't do much else, but I could totally foresee doing either ice cream or out to Starbucks for a treat as something special. If we were coming out of the system, I'd probably make that first day, when all the other kids "have" to go, something really fun--go to a movie, go hiking, something that would be the envy of kids in school, just to show how fantastic homeschooling will be. :D But I'm mean like that! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tam101 Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 I make up a little first day worksheet. I'm glad you said that! I forgot about doing our first day worksheet. I love comparing the answers from year to year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 we do the first day of school picture, a first day student profile and then take a picnic and go swimming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollie010 Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 We go out for donuts (pretty much a once a year treat) and then do some kind of nature walk. I forgot to take pictures last year, but will definitely have my camera this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firestar Academy Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 I posted this somewhere else, too. But we are also 'coming out of the system'!! We were afterschooling starting back in April and held a light summer school schedule so there is no official 1st day of school. BUT, i did tell my children that the first day the yellow school bus goes by, we are going to the aquarium!! it will tie into the swimming creatures science curriculum we are using. Robin in NJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 New here (and to homeschooling). Hello everyone! We are about to begin our first year of homeschooling and I can't seem to get a good idea on a "first day". I want to be sure to make it something special and commemorate the adventure we're beginning together as a family. So I thought I'd ask some veterans. Have you started a "first day" tradition? Or did your family depart the public school system for home, how did you commemorate the occasion? Thanks!! When we began officially homeschooling, we were stationed in Germany. So we did Schultueten (school cones) full of goodies (school supplies, toys and candy). I let it slip a little when we moved, but I'm reviving the tradition. I'm using storage boxes instead of cones (our box is about double shoebox sized). The funny thing is that I've let a couple of the kids help with picking out some of what will go into the boxes. I think they've enjoyed getting to pick out what will surprise the others. I think we'll also be going to our homeschool group's Not The First Day of School Party, where we rent out the pool and have it all to ourselves while everyone else is headed off to school. (Of course last year's had to be rescheduled because the first day was the day a major typhoon hit. We ended up actually doing a weather unit of watching the windspeed rise and fall and drawing our own pictures for a Beaufort Scale. I'm hoping to skip that this year.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 We also do the Schultuete and my boys look forward to theirs all summer long! This year their cones will include their school supplies, a few natural candies, new stainless steel water bottles to use for school, a small toy for each boy and homemade coupons for things like a Starbucks game night with mom or dad and such. Also on the first day we do ice cream for dinner which is a one time a year sort of thing! They love it! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leimarie Posted August 9, 2010 Author Share Posted August 9, 2010 Thanks so much for all the great input so far. Some really neat things have been mentioned. We hadn't planned on taking the entire summer off, it just sort of happened in the busyness of the season. :tongue_smilie: Ugh. I'd like to ease us in over the next three weeks, I'm really not concerned with starting around the same time as the school system, a bit more of just being ready to get "our" school started. All the kids are pretty excited (3 of my 5 are school aged). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homemama2 Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 We always decorate the room we'll be schooling in (use to be in the kitchen, now in the school room) with loads of streamers and balloons and these stay up the whole first week. I always ask what they want to do and they always want to paint pictures....but I think some of these other ideas sound great....esp. doing something fun when ps kids go back. Maybe we'll go the zoo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekmom Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast is a big hit around here! Also, my kids look forward to a treasure hunt for their school supplies. I hide the new supplies and a few treats (pack of gum, cool bookmark, new timer, etc.) around the house the night before. I write up clues to help them locate the supplies. It's amazing how much they enjoy a treasure hunt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 i always have the kids draw a self-portrait the first day of school. it's so fun to see them evolve year by year. my dd4's was HILARIOUS last year. it will be interesting to see what she does this year. love the first day of school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Google schultuete for pictures, instructions, etc. My son, 2 full years later, still talks about his. He loved the candies stapled to ribbons adorning the outside. I made one nearly 4 feet tall, and I'm not at all "crafty". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom_Abear Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 I love these threads!! ;) We start the days with special breakfast (Bulls' Eyes - scrambled eggs in the center of toast). Then we take pictures and unveil our school supplies! This year we are starting with an orientation day, so we'll go over the schedule, the rules, etc. I also do the first day of school surveys where they draw a self portrait, give their signature, and answer questions about their interests, etc. This year we are hoping to meet some friends for lunch out. For our afternoon activity, we tie-dye school shirts. I make logos ahead of time and iron them on. My kiddos really enjoy wearing these all year. :) We start Friday ... and I can finally say I'm ready!! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom25girls Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Last year I really stressed over something that would be special for my 5 daughters (grades 9,4,3,2,K). The first day arrived and we went out to breakfast with Daddy (family tradition) and then out for manicures. When we had all dried, we spent a few hours at a local bookstore.IThe girls LOVED it! In fact, they've been talking about our "tradition" all year! LOL! We always take off the first week that the local kids go back to school. In my experience, the most essential "First Day of School" ingredient is MY enthusiasm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockey Mom Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 We're going to breakfast with Daddy, then I'll take pictures of them holding a sign that has which grade they're going into, then we'll start school. I love the idea of making self-portraits. I may do that one this year. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 I read this on another board, but you can take a picture of your children on the first day and on the last day of school to see how they have changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamapjama Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 I love the self portrait idea and hope I remember that in a few weeks when we start! Two years ago we went out for breakfast and we invited grammie and grampa out with us to playe glow in the dark mini golf. Last year I secretly hid 5 geocaches filled with school supplies in a nearby park. I told my dc that new caches had been hid. They were super excited and we had so much fun. They didn't figure out that I had hid them until the final geocache filled with a new lego kit was found! I am not sure what I will do this year. Last year was so much fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynds2 Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 We take a first day of school photo, do height and weight, and have a really lite day of school. I usually take them out to lunch and the library as well. One year when PS started we went to the zoo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 To help motivate them to stay on track, we're going to see a dollar movie (Karate Kid) today...we try to do something fun each year on back to school day! :) Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JESSICAinMD Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Welcome! Our local homeschooling community has a not-back-to-school picnic at a playground on the first day of school. I think even if they didn't, that would be a part of what we do on that first day when everyone else is back. I completely agree that I'm counting down the days, simply because I can't wait to get the park, the library, and all the cool places back all to ourselves again. That truly is awesome! Last year, on the official 2nd day of school, we did pictures, complete with little sheets I printed with their names and grade/ages. I didn't do much else, but I could totally foresee doing either ice cream or out to Starbucks for a treat as something special. If we were coming out of the system, I'd probably make that first day, when all the other kids "have" to go, something really fun--go to a movie, go hiking, something that would be the envy of kids in school, just to show how fantastic homeschooling will be. :D But I'm mean like that! :lol: We go to a back to school picnic too. It is so nice to see all the other homeschoolers. It is reassuring to see all the other people that choose to homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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