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Hey friends. Welcome back to the Firstieland Podcast. I’m your host, Molly Schwab, and today is December 31, and a brand new year is upon us. So let me begin by saying Happy New Year. I hope you’re having a great holiday.
We usually have a tradition in my family where we go bowling on New Year’s Eve. My whole family goes to a little bowling alley that has an early celebration for families with kids. We take my granddaughters, they wear party hats, use noisemakers, eat pizza, and it’s just a really fun night together.
And the best part is that I’m back home and in my pajamas by nine o’clock.
But this year, we actually aren’t going because my son and daughter-in-law were invited to an out-of-town New Year’s Eve wedding. So we’re staying home, ordering pizza, and watching a movie. Whatever you’re doing, I hope you have fun.
Since it’s New Year’s Eve and all about fresh beginnings, I thought today we’d talk about heading back to school after winter break.
January is the perfect time for a fresh start and a mid-year reset, and there are four things I think you definitely want to do during that first week back at school. So let’s talk about those.

Rebuild Classroom Community
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The first thing you want to do on that first day back is begin rebuilding your classroom community.
Kids are excited to see each other after a long break. Some may have gotten together with friends, but others haven’t seen anyone for two weeks. They miss each other, and they’re going to want to talk and catch up. So it’s really important to build in time for that at the start of the day.
I always liked to have something for kids to work on at their seats as they came in, just to keep things regulated on that first morning. This could be Play-Doh, morning tubs, or even a simple New Year’s coloring sheet. Let them visit a little at their tables as everyone trickles in.
Once all the kids are there, I recommend doing a welcome-back activity together. I used to do an activity called Time to Find a Friend. Each student had a clipboard and a paper divided into twelve squares. Each square listed something they might have done over winter break, like played in the snow, drank hot chocolate, watched a movie, or played with a new toy.
Students walked around the room finding classmates who matched each square. The goal was to fill in as many squares as possible, but it also gave them a chance to move, talk, and reconnect.
Another great way to rebuild community is through sharing. During morning meeting, I used sharing cards with simple questions. I kept mine in a little winter-themed tin from Dollar Tree.
Questions included things like:
Did you play any games over winter break?

What was your favorite movie you watched?

Each day for the first few days back, I’d pick a question and let a few students share. These are the things they’re dying to talk about, and when you let them get it out, they’re much more ready to focus afterward.

Review Rules and Expectations
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The second thing you definitely want to do after winter break is review your classroom rules and expectations.
After a two-week break, kids forget things. Taking time to review routines helps your classroom management stay strong from the start.
Meet students at the door on the first day back and remind them of the morning routine, hanging up coats, turning in folders, washing hands, whatever applies in your classroom.
During transitions, give quick reminders. When it’s time to come to the carpet, remind them to push in chairs and walk. When lining up, review hallway expectations. These small reminders head off problems before they happen.
I also liked using a pocket chart activity called Fizzle or Sparkle. Sparkle meant rules we should follow. Fizzle meant things we shouldn’t do. Students read cards like “Walk quietly in the hallway” or “Make a mess at your table” and decided where they belonged. It was a fun way to review expectations without lecturing.
All of these activities are part of my New Year Classroom Kickoff Toolkit, which you can find at firstieland.com/kickoff. I’ll also link it in the show notes.

Set Goals for the New Year
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The third thing to do after winter break is set goals.
This is the point in the year when academics get more challenging. Reading and writing expectations increase, math skills expand, and behavior expectations matter more than ever.
Talk with students about what’s coming next. Show them books they’ll be reading, types of writing they’ll be doing, and math skills they’ll be learning, like telling time or counting money.
Then set goals together. I loved reading Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution by Pat Miller. It’s a sweet story about animals setting resolutions, and Squirrel eventually realizes his goal is to help others.
After reading, we brainstormed classroom goals like keeping our room neat or helping our friends. Then students wrote personal goals using a simple writing template.
Helping kids understand where they’re headed makes them feel more confident and focused.

Winter Break Writing Reflection
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The final thing I always did after winter break was a writing reflection.
This served two purposes. First, it got kids writing right away. Second, it gave me insight into how their break actually went.
Students made a flip book with pages like:
My favorite thing I ate

A game I played

A show I watched

My favorite thing I did

How I felt over break

These simple prompts can tell you a lot. Not every child has a happy or safe home life, and writing can give you a glimpse into their world. That information can be really important as you support them in the classroom.
This flip book is also included in my New Year Classroom Kickoff Toolkit, linked in the show notes.

Winter Read Aloud Challenge Reminder
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Before we go, I want to remind you that my free Winter Read Aloud Challenge starts January 5.
It’s a simple, fun challenge where you read one picture book each week in January. I’ve chosen four great winter-themed books, and each Monday I’ll release a short podcast episode about the book of the week.
When you sign up, you’ll receive a free weekly classroom resource, plus access to a private Facebook group with giveaways all month long. I’ll be giving away books, gift cards, and TPT resources.
You can sign up at firstieland.com/challenge.

Okay, friends, that’s it for this week. I hope you’re enjoying your winter break and feeling refreshed for the new year. Don’t forget, I’ll be releasing two podcast episodes each week in January, on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Until next time, remember to make learning feel like play. Thanks so much for tuning in. Be sure to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode, and if you’re enjoying the podcast, I’d love for you to leave a review.
You can find show notes and links for everything mentioned at firstieland.com.
I’ll see you next week in Firstieland.