Help with homeroom activity on day 1

[RoxMonster]

I teach HS, and we have homerooms that meet once every week or once every other week. They are kind of used for administrative tasks, having class meetings, etc. Anyway, we keep the same students freshman-senior year. I have seniors this year, meaning I've had this same group for four years now.

On the first day of school, we have a total of 90 min with our homeroom kids. Besides passing out laptops (they have had them for four years now, so nothing new to go over), and a couple of forms to sign, we don't have anything else scheduled for that time. I am not sure why we are given so much time; I think a couple years ago, a few teachers had asked for more time so we got more time, but I don't personally need it with my group.

So I'm really stuck on what to do with them for this length of time. We usually only have them for 18 min every week/every other week, and usually have some sort of task to do with them that takes up that time (Homecoming royalty voting, etc.) We occasionally won't have anything planned, so I have chatted with them to get to know them better. So I feel like we all know each other pretty well, this is not an academic class and there are no grades in homeroom, and my group is awesome but can be very rambunctious! So I want to have something planned.

Any ideas? I have plenty of icebreaker type activities saved on my Pinterest, but feel kind of weird doing a get-to-know-you thing when we have all been together for four years running.

[UMaineTeach]

Maybe a senior year bucket list type activity.

What are your goals, plans, hopes for this last year of high school?

[katfco]

Since they're seniors, how about they write out a post-graduating plan? Then they can look at how they're going to use this year to make those plans happen.

[mmp]

I have my freshmen write themselves a letter and seal a self addressed envelope. I mail it back to them when they've finished their freshman year of college.

[honeydew1894]

Aug 10, 2017 4:56:39 GMT -5 mmp said:

I have my freshmen write themselves a letter and seal a self addressed envelope. I mail it back to them when they've finished their freshmen year of college.

I love this idea! I teach 7th grade, and I am wondering how I could adapt it. I could maybe give them back after graduation.  We used to do time capsules, and that was neat too.

[RoxMonster]

The letter idea is really neat, but in my district they write one in8th grade and then get it back right before graduation, so I feel like my kids do something similar.

I can do a senior year goals/plans activity with them. Keep the suggestions coming! I will probably have more time I can fill

[mmp]

Go to teacherspayteachers.com and get a template for either Gone Fishin' or Flyswatter. Fill the game up with trivia about the school, the teachers, college preparation etc.
They have to throw something at the board to pick a question. I don't have a smart board, so mine throw a stuffed animal at my whiteboard. They love the trivia about the teachers and play for a lousy ring pop prize.

[Jalapeñomel]

Do you have a bulletin board that they can decorate for their class? They can take and print pics and then change it throughout the year.

[Jalapeñomel]

Aug 10, 2017 10:44:14 GMT -5 mmp said:

Go to teacherspayteachers.com and get a template for either Gone Fishin' or Flyswatter. Fill the game up with trivia about the school, the teachers, college preparation etc.
They have to throw something at the board to pick a question. I don't have a smart board, so mine throw a stuffed animal at my whiteboard. They love the trivia about the teachers and play for a lousy ring pop prize.

I'm going to use this in advisory!

[erbear]

Could they write "advice" on post it notes to stick on freshmen lockers? That's what my 8th graders do for the new 5th graders.

Advisory Olympics (split them into small teams, team name/poster, stupid relay races, trivia contest, talent show, each gets points)

Community Service project

[flamingeaux]

Ooh get some posterboards, split them in groups and let them make back to school spirit signs, specific to each grade level, and then put them in the hall or the entry way

[RoxMonster]

Thanks for the ideas, everyone!