School has started, and everyone is working on getting back into the routine of a daily schedule! Each year, Lincoln Elementary picks a year long theme to follow throughout the school year. This year our theme is “Gear Up, Get Ready, Game on!”. Our town of Bedford is very sports oriented thanks to Damon Bailey. This theme is an excellent way to catch the children’s attention and get them focused into a new school year!

Once I find out what our theme is, I start writing a school theme song. The song is written to reinforce the concepts that we are all trying to get across in the school year.

•  Gear Up – When you participate in sports there are certain pieces of equipment you need to get ready for that sport. In school, you need the right equipment for learning – backpack, pencils, notebooks, etc.
• Get Ready – Now that you have the tools for school, get organized, bring them to school and put them to use.  Put on a positive attitude and get ready to learn!
• Game On – Now it’s time to learn!  Focus during instruction time, ask for help when you don’t understand something and get down to work. You can learn anything. You can know anything. You can be anything. You can go anywhere! Your teachers want you to succeed, but you have to put forth the effort to reach that goal!

The bulletin board outside my room has the school theme displayed. The pictures and words on the bulletin board reinforce all that we are teaching. The first day of school, I teach the theme song both in my classroom and to the whole school. The theme song is sung on the intercom each week, plus I send a copy of the words to all the teachers and an mp3 of the song. The sheet music and track of “Gear Up, Get Ready, Game On!” can be purchased at my online store.

Below is a picture of some of the staff at Lincoln Elementary School in Bedford, Indiana. I am very fortunate to be a part of such a caring and talented staff that truly care about all of our students. Teaching is not easy, and one must truly have a passion and calling to teach. Teamwork makes all the difference in being an effective staff and student.

So teacher friends,”Gear Up, Get Ready, Game On”! I hope you have a fantastic school year!

“Alone we do so little. Together, we do so much!”

-Helen Keller