Bookmarks for Incoming Students
Sue Flaherty

Last year I had my sixth grade class make bookmarks of their favorite book
that they read during their 6th grade year. I asked them to "sell" the book by pumping up the incoming 6th graders with a few lines about the book and why they should read it. We decorate one bulletin board with those colorful bookmark suggestions.

We then wrote letters of advice to the new incoming 6th graders of what they should and should not do to make it a good year. The kids decorated those advice letters and attached a small picture of themselves. That was another bulletin board.

These ideas kept them reading and writing and proofing while they still had a good time interacting and reminiscing. It was fun listening to the big future 7th graders talk about what these 6trh grade newbies need to look out for in order to survive my class and the 6th grade year as a whole.

A big plus was I had two small bulletin boards already decorated for fall. I just stapled newspaper over the top to keep them from dust and fading.