HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I know a lot of you are starting back to school today.  I hope you all have a great first day and a fabulous school year.

I still have 3 weeks (and one day and 1 hour and 56 minutes) until I need to trade in my flip flops for sensible shoes and apply make-up instead of sunscreen.

I'll probably need to do something more than pull my hair into a ponytail and call it done as well.

Note to self: appreciate the next few weeks

I thought that today would be a great day to share a 1st day activity and super cute bulletin board idea with you.  For those of you who are about to carry that big ole teacher bag into school for the first of 180 days in a few hours, don't fret.  It's best to file this idea away for next year anyhow.

It's a Happy New Year Celebration!

A few years ago, I had a Happy New Year gift bag waiting for each child.  It included some cute school supplies, a homework pass and a New Years hat or tiara.  I also had some Happy New Year balloons in the classroom.

It made for a fun, festive and exciting start to our year together.

I then took a picture of each child wearing the hat/tiara with the balloons as the background.  I used the pictures to make a really cute bulletin board that included a writing sample from each child titled, "My New Year Resolutions."  

The reason I say it is best to file the idea away is because you can buy packs of hats, balloons, etc dirt cheap in January/February because there is little market for a Happy New Year 2010 hat in 2011, but it is perfect for the 2010 school year.

You can also make your own super cheap.

Just buy regular party hats at the Dollar Store, print your message on the computer and attach with a little hot glue.