Making the End of the School Year Even More Special!

The month of May typically means; flowers, rain showers, Mother's Day cards, and the end of the school year. As kids longingly look out the window and anxiously await their softball leagues, teachers are also winding down and coming up with end of the year projects and activities.

One way to impact your students and show them how special they are is to write a poem for the class. Include each student's name and something special about them. Your students will be thrilled to be thought of personally and will cherish the poem for the rest of their lives. It is also a great way to leave students knowing that they are cared for and valued.

Another idea to wrap up the school year is to make class t-shirts. Have the students' tie-die shirts, or get screen printed ones with a logo. Save some time for students to write and sign on each other's t-shirts. This will continue to build teamwork amongst your students, as well as give them a chance to show appreciation to one another on a year well done.

As field trips draw near, make the days extra special by planning certain menus so that the lunch will be more of a potluck. Plan the menu in advance to include sides, paper plates, hot dogs, drinks, etc so that students can learn to cooperate and plan a great meal together. Older students can also have a hand in planning games, such as creating their own relays. This will give students a sense of ownership as well as allow them to utilize their creative thinking skills.

Also, there are lots of gardening and outdoor projects that work well with this kind of weather and season.

Having students plant seeds or plants in early spring to take home and plant will give them something to cherish all summer.

Students may also have a day where they decorate clay pots with special memories of the school year. Or, you may want to have one large clay pot for the whole class to have a hand in decorating. The pot can then be used to house a baby tree, or annuals to bloom throughout the summer.