End of the Year Ideas for Administrators
If you have the last day of school circled and highlighted on your calendar, you are not alone! There's a great sense of relief that comes with the dismissal bell on the last day. But before that last bell, there are a few things you can do to keep up morale for staff and students and ensure a smoother transition back in the fall.
What are some things you do to close out the year and prepare for the next one?
1. Hold a Moving Up Day
What a great way for students and teachers to get a glimpse of the next school year! Moving Up Day is a great way to build community for all grades.
2. Have an Open House
It's not just for September! You can have an Open House for parents before the end of the school year to showcase what students have learned. The ESL Department at my school even holds an extra Open House at the end of Summer School to keep our parents updated. This has been so valuable for our back-to-school transition!
3. Plan Summer School
If you've got some money left in the budget, plan for few weeks of summer school. It can be for certain subgroups- ESL, Basic Skills, Sp.Ed, or for certain grades. Summer school can be all new topics and themes or it can be an extended year program. I've done both versions, and some of my plans for a few different grade levels are linked, just in case you need an example. STEM, robotics, forensics, environmental studies, and book clubs are all great starting points for course offerings. If you need more hands, round up some local college education majors as volunteers- free for you and resume builders for them!
What are some things you do to close out the year and prepare for the next one?