FIRST DAY ACTIVITIES: We Make a Great Bunch & "Me Bags."
  
  Author: Kelley 

  TEACHER'S NOTE: I did two activities on the first day last year
  that my 2nd graders loved.
  
  Procedure:

  1) I made a bulletin board titled "We make a great bunch!"

        Have a bunch of "purple grapes,"
        then cut out circles and have each child draw a self
        portrait.

        Before you put them on the bulletin board, 
        try to guess who owns each portrait.

  TEACHER'S NOTE: It made for a really cute board and the kids
  loved showing their parents their self portraits to their
  parents.

  2) "Me Bags."

        Go to a grocery store and get paper bags.

  TEACHER'S NOTE: (Most stores will be very generous when they hear
  it is for a school project.)

        Have each child decorate a bag

        For homework the first night, students will place
        three or four items in the bag that were special
        to them.

        The next day they bring back their bags and tell
        about the items inside.

  TEACHER'S NOTE: My friend did this activity with 5th
  grade and they loved it as well.