[SCYSR]

Any ideas for a welcoming BB- we don't have themes in my school.

[ConnieWI]

Just because your school doesn't do a theme doesn't mean you can't do one for your classroom. Look at your curriculum. Is there a social studies or science expectation that you could make into a theme and decorate your room accordingly?

For example, in social studies I teach map skills and the regions of the United States. I begin the year with a bulletin board showing the continents and oceans. We learn their location and then my students write "If I Were in Charge of the World" poetry.

For reading, I have a map of the United States. All my students begin in Milwaukee and travel the U.S. Each reading minute equals one mile on the map. This year, our building theme is trains, so this bulletin board will work very well for this theme.

For the train theme, I plan to put train tickets on the door with my student's names.

Look in teacher catalogs like Evan-Moor, Upstart, etc. to see if any of the pre-made themes work for you or if any of them correspond with your curriculum. Then you can plan your door decoration, jobs board, behavior program, etc.

[Weezer]

ConnieWI, Iwas going to say the same thing. Not everyone at my school does a theme. It is a personal choice. Pick something that will be fun and make the children glad they are in your room. I saw some very cute popcorn theme stuff at the teacher store. I loved it!!!! You could put on your door"Look who popped into Mrs.______'s Room!" and write eachchild's name on a piece of popcorn. It looks real. They had incentive charts, nameplates, border, and other stuff to go with it.

Hi I wanted to do a popcorn theme this year because popcorn seems to be my students' favoite snack. I as going to do "Great Students are POPPING Up Everywhere" What store did you find the popcorn theme things in? Maybe they have a website I can order from. Thank you
bolashw@bellsouth.net