In the spring I wrote a letter to my students on their last day in Kindergarten. It seemed fitting that I write a letter for their first day of Kindergarten too. While I don’t necessarily read these letters aloud to my students, I may share them in their memory books for them to keep as they grow. This letter is putting into words what I feel, think, wish, and hope for my students as they enter my classroom. *Pair this with our Back to School Activities & Centers for Pre-K/Kindergarten!
Dear Kindergartner, Today is the big day! Today, you become a Kindergartner. You may be excited. You may be scared. Would you believe me if I told you that I get nervous about the first day too? It’s true. I didn’t even sleep much last night because I was so excited to meet you, and I was so curious about you and your classmates! Will you all come to school with a smile? Will there be any tears?
Maybe you wondered how you would feel at school too, and who you would meet. If you were scared to come to school, I want you to know that you aren’t the only one. I will try to comfort you by helping you meet new friends, and I will reassure you that I will be here for you should you need me. If you are excited, I will celebrate with you! I am happy to see your excitement, and I will love to see when that excitement is contagious to your peers. Kindergarten is a special time in your life and you will learn so much. I am sure you have heard all about how you will learn your ABC’s, learn to read, and do math problems. But I want you to know something – those aren’t the most important things you will learn in Kindergarten. You may hear grown ups talk about those things a lot – and they are important, and we will work hard – but reading and math are not the most important things about Kindergarten.
What are the most important things? Friendship, kindness, compassion, sharing, empathy, independence, teamwork, honesty, courage, creativity, adventure, problem solving, and much more. Yes, my dear kindergartners, you will learn to read and do so much this year, and I will be so proud of you. But when you look back at Kindergarten, I want you to remember the other things too. If you think of me when you are older, it’s ok if you don’t remember that I helped you learn to read, and it’s ok if your strongest memory of Kindergarten is how we laughed so hard at the carpet because something was silly. In fact, I hope you remember that the most. Here’s to a wonderful year filled with learning and laughter, Your Teacher
To get your free printable First Day of School Letter for your Kindergarten students, click the large, yellow download button below!
Alex is a Transitional Kindergarten teacher with a passion for making learning fun and engaging. She's earned a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education, and Masters Degrees in Special Education and Curriculum Design. Alex is a former night owl turned early bird and playful learning enthusiast. Alex lives with her husband and their beloved and high-energy cat, Fitz.
