The New Crew

Being the new kid at school can be very overwhelming. As a school counselor, I want to make our new kiddos feel right at home. Last year, I had lunch groups and we talked about the school and how things were different from their old school and it was great. This year though, I tried to spice it up a bit. Here's a look at what our newest Bobcats have been up to!

During the first week of school, we took a QR code Treasure Hunt! The hunt led the students on a tour around the school to see important places and spaces. We started with this treasure map...

Then we followed the clues all around the building. This picture was taken outside of my office.

The treasure hunt ended back in their classroom where they found a goodie bag on their desk that had items like this...

For the next four weeks, I will meet them during lunch to talk about their experiences so far at our school. I created this packet over the summer and if you are a fellow counselor and are interested in using this resource, click the picture or link to go to my Teachers Pay Teachers store. 

The next few pictures are some of my favorite activities from the New Crew Packet. I can't wait to try them out! 

The students get to choose a Dr. Seuss quote and describe how it relates to their mindset for the year. 

We will be talking about setting goals for academics and for our own personal lives. To teach goal setting, I created this poster. Check out this FrEeBiE on TPT.

Would You Rather? Who doesn't love this game. I like to make it more interactive by having students move to different sides of the room depending on their choice.

Finally, these are some of my favorite books for welcoming new students to school.

The Name Jar

Unhei moves to her new school from Korea and is very anxious about her name. It seems no one can pronounce her name in her new class, so she decides she will choose a new name. Her class helps out by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from. One day, a friend from class visits Unhei's neighborhood and discovers the meaning behind her real name and how special it really is. Find out if Unhei keeps her name and how her friends remind her to be happy with who you are. 

If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don't 

Magnolia's teacher asks her class to bring something from nature to school. Magnolia is determined to have the very best show-and-tell item, so she brings an alligator. He starts getting into a ton of trouble and she needs to find something to scare him away. After reading this book, I have students bring something to share from home, not an alligator of course.

The Exceptionally, Extraordinary First Day of School

John is the new kid in school. He is asked to compare his new school, to his old school and his imagination runs wild. He says that his old school bus was a safari jeep pulled by wild creatures and the school was a castle. He captivates all his listeners and his first day fears and jitters are conquered.