At the beginning of the year you are busily making lots of things with students’ names on them. You think you are just about ready with everything when in walks your director or principal with news of a new student. Suddenly you need to have one of everything ready for the new student.
Here are some things I keep in my new student file in the classroom and on my computer that helps me get ready for a new student.
For your New Student File on your computer:
Coat hook labels
Cubby labels
I learned to save my file with a sample name on the coat hook label, cubby label, and anything else that I want to actually match up the font size and color. You would think you would remember the font size or the name of the font. When a new student shows up midway through the year you may be testing out different sizes and then getting frustrated when you print it out and it just does not match.
If you like the coat hook and cubby labels here, please check out my Ocean Theme Decor Bundle. I set up the file so that you will automatically get the same size and font. You can also switch it up and make changes if you have a favorite font on your computer.
For your filing cabinet:
Lunch place setting
At the beginning of the year I have had my students use watercolor paints to discover the mystery word that I have written in white crayon. The word ends up being their names, which ends up getting laminated and used by our table washer to set places for snack and lunch. I put a couple sheets of paper cut the correct size to match in my new student file. It would probably be smart for me to toss a white crayon in there as well.
Birthday display supplies
Height chart supplies
For my student birthdays and height chart I just write the names and information on with a sharpie on the laminated item, so I make sure I have a few extra laminated pieces in my file. I have a couple extra birthday crowns copied and ready to go in my birthday file. This year I don’t have an assistant that I can send down to copy one at the last minute.
Writing center supplies
I also have a writing center with student name and photo cards, so when I create these I cut the card stock the correct size for a few extras to stash away. That way the card stock will be the same color and the same size.
Class books
For class books I usually just make sure we create a fresh one on a new topic soon after getting a new student. However, I do like to add new students into our Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Look Who’s In Our Room book. I make a complete set of supplies to make a couple pages of the book for any student who arrives after the first week of school.
Question of the Day name tags
For answering our question of the day I made up some quick name labels with different borders. I laminated and then wrote with sharpie so that I can change as needed. For example, partway through the year I will change them to last names to that students get used to recognizing those.
A special thanks to Classroom Doodle Diva for the cute clip art girl for my blog post image at the top of the page.
What do you keep in your new student file?