Classroom Community: A Letter From Your Teacher & Our Class is a Family Bundle

Description

Looking for meaningful classroom community activities to go with all the books by Shannon Olsen?

This bundle of book companions are resources that have been created by the author of each of these picture books for the classroom:

• Our Class is a Family
• Our School is a Family
• Collaboration Station
• A Letter From Your Teacher on the First Day of School
• A Letter From Your Teacher on the Last Day of School
• We’re So Happy You’re Here: A Warm Welcome for our New Student
• Our Class is a Family: Holiday Edition

These book companions align closely with the texts, incorporating reading and writing skills while helping to foster classroom community and positive relationships in the classroom.

The bundle includes activities to build a strong foundation during back to school time, to continue to nurture class community throughout the year, and to help students reflect on their class family’s memories toward the last day of school.

Book Companion activities for Our Class is a Family:

• Class Family Album – collective classroom community project that can be utilized throughout the entire school year
• Class Family bookmarks – great for gifts, prize incentives, etc.

Book Companion activities for Our School is a Family:

• School Family Directory – activity to familiarize students with the various staff members at your school
• School Family Directory for Beginning Writers – adapted version of the original School Family Directory, with options for letter tracing and fill in the blank

Book Companion activities for Collaboration Station:

• Slides with Discussion Questions – slide deck to help guide collaborative conversation after the read aloud
• Accountable Talk Stems – bubbles with sentence frames (like the ones in the book illustrations) to use as a visual reference for lessons or a bulletin board
• Student Pennant Flag Teamwork Activity – writing craft to help create a collaborative learning community
• Student Job Role Cards – cards to help assign student roles when working in small group

Book Companion activities for A Letter From Your Teacher on the First Day of School:

• A Letter To My Teacher – a back to school classroom community activity to build a positive teacher to student connection during back to school
• A Letter To My Teacher for Beginning Writers – adapted version of the back to school activity with sentence frames for students who need additional writing support

Book Companion activities for A Letter From Your Teacher on the Last Day of School:

• Class Family End of the Year Memory Book – an end of the year memory book keepsake for each student to create at the end of the school year
• Last Day of School Mailbox Activity – a whole class end of the year activity with a special keepsake to take home on the last day

Book Companion activities for We’re So Happy You’re Here: A Warm Welcome for our New Student 

• New Student Booklet – a welcome booklet from the whole class full of compliments, encouraging messages, and thoughtful drawings for the new student

Book Companion activities for Our Class is a Family: Holiday Edition

• Holiday Schoolhouse Writing Craft – holiday craftivity with student writing
• Class Family Holiday Gift Tags – printable gift tags to go with the class set of MINI BOOKS, or a teacher holiday gift

To see what is included with each of these classroom community resources, please see the Preview.

Teachers LOVE using these books and book companion activities to build community.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “I absolutely love these books. Our Class is a Family and the first Letter From Your Teacher set the tone for the year, and now there is Letter From Your Teacher for the end!! It’s especially meaningful this year because I’m changing schools. Thank you for such wonderful resources.” – Kimberly P.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “My students loved this book and activities. I used it the first day and they were excited to write a letter to me about something they really wanted me to know. I told them the letter was for my eyes and I was suprised how many admitted they are worried about being back in school. They also had a chance to share with the class one thing about themselves.” – Rene B., on A Letter From Your Teacher Activity

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “I loved this resource as a community building activity. We started the book at the beginning of the year and are adding to it as we go. I planned to make a copy for each student as they expressed that they love it and each want one.” Julie T., on Our Class is a Family Activity

You might also like this MEGA Growing Bundle, which includes all resources from this bundle, plus a whole school year’s worth of Our Class is a Family themed Morning Meetings for weekly class community building.