School Days (Traditional Tune – HAPPY EVERYTHING CD Disk One)
School days, school days, (Sway from side to side with
Time for back to school days. hands behind your back.)
Backpacks, and pencils, and paper, too. (Hold up fingers as you name
You’ll need crayons and scissors and sticky glue. items.)
Shopping for new shoes and clothes (Point to shoes and clothes.)
Who will be my teacher I want to know. (Hold up palms.)
New friends and lots of good times (Clasp hands as if excited.)
I can’t wait to go back to school. (Fist in the air.)
Looking through My Window (Tune: “Go in and out My Window”)
I’m looking through my window.
I’m looking through my window.
I’m looking through my window,
And I see my friend (first child’s name).
Take an old picture frame, remove the glass, and decorate with fake jewels. The first child takes the picture frame and looks through it as you sing the song. The first child names a second friend and passes the frame to her. The song continues until everyone has had a turn. (You can also cut a frame from cardboard and use it to sing the song.)
I Am Special (Tune: “Frere Jacques”)
I am special.
I am special.
Take a look.
You will see.
Someone very special.
Someone very special.
And it’s me!
And it’s me!
Place a small mirror in the bottom of a shoebox and put the lid on top. Explain that something wonderful and incredible is in the box. “It’s so special there’s only one like it in the world!” Watch children’s smiles as they open the box and see their faces!
Little Red Box (Tune: “Polly Wolly Doodle”)
I wish I had a little red box
To put my child’s name in.
I’d take him/her out and go hug, hug, hug (Wrap arms around self and squeeze.)
And put him back again.
Continue singing each child’s name.
Cover a small box with red paper. Write children’s names on sentence strips and glue their picture by their name. Pull one name at a time out of the red box and sing to them.
Important Person (Tune: “Lassie and Laddie”)
Child’s name is important, important, important.
Child’s name is important to you and to me.
At work and at play
He/she does his/her best each day.
Child’s name is important to you and to me.
Hold children in your lap as you sing to them. Let children tell why they are important to the classroom family.
Hello! (Tune: “Good Night, Ladies”)
Hello, child’s name!
Hello, child’s name!
Hello, child’s name!
We’re glad you’re in our room.
Make a book with each child’s name in the above verse. Hold up the book as you sing “Hello!” to each child.
Who Ate the Cookie?
Child’s name ate the cookie in the cookie jar.
Who me? (First child responds.)
Yes you. (Class chants.)
Couldn’t be? (First child.)
Then who? (Class chants.)
Second child’s name ate the cookie
(Choose a second child’s name) in the cookie jar.
Give each child a cookie to eat for snack. Take a picture of them eating their cookie, and then make a book with their pictures and the above chant.
I Like to Come to School (Tune: “Farmer in the Dell” - HAPPY EVERYTHING CD)
I like to come to school.
I like to come to school.
I like to learn and play each day
I like to come to school.
I like to make new friends… (Find a friend and hold their hand.)
I like to read and write… (Pretend to read a book.)
I like to do math… (Pretend to count on fingers.)
I like to sing and draw… (Pretend to draw.)
Let children make up additional verses for the above song about what they like best at school. Ask each child to draw a picture of what they like best. (For younger children, photograph them in their favorite area of the classroom.) Put their pictures together to make a book called “We Like School.” Read it each morning to create positive feelings about school.
The World Family (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
The name of my school is ___, ___, ___.
The name of my school is ___.
That’s the name of my school.
The name of my teacher is...
The name of my principal is...
Add more verses with the name of your city, state, and country.
School Cheer (Tune: “Father Abraham”)
(Name of school) School has many friends.
There are many friends at (name of school).
I am one of them,
And so are you.
So let’s all give a cheer.
Right arm. (Begin moving right arm up and down.)
Continue adding left arm…right foot…left foot…nod your head.
End by singing, “Turn around and sit down.”