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08 How To Make Every Kid Feel Seen Before Summer
The last week of school doesn't have to be survival mode. In this episode Nicole shares the end-of-year traditions she keeps coming back to — student word clouds, summer science kits, class awards that actually fit each kid, and two letter-writing activities that connect students across time. These are low-cost, low-prep, and genuinely meaningful. Stay for the freebie: a 22-idea checklist across four categories to help you make the most of your final days.
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The last week of school is its own thing — academically winding down but emotionally still very much alive. In this episode Nicole walks through her favorite end-of-year traditions: the ones that are personal, low-cost, and actually land with kids. From a word cloud that shows students how their classmates see them, to class awards where every single kid gets recognized for something true to them, to a letter-writing tradition that connects fifth graders to their future senior-year selves — these are the ideas worth keeping in your back pocket year after year.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- the student word cloud — how to collect words from every classmate, add your own, and give kids a snapshot of who they are in fifth grade through the eyes of the people around them
- a summer science kit that travels home with them
- why class awards matter more than school awards for a lot of kids — and how to make sure every student gets recognized for something specific and true to them
- the Challenge 24 tournament and why even the kids who don't make the finals get invested
- two letter-writing activities: letters to next year's students and letters to their future senior selves — and the school tradition that delivers them at graduation
- a 22-idea end-of-year checklist across four categories, free for Substack subscribers
📬 Stay Connected
- 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
- 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
- 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
- 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/
View all episodes
By Nicole VanTassel
4.8
4444 ratings
The last week of school doesn't have to be survival mode. In this episode Nicole shares the end-of-year traditions she keeps coming back to — student word clouds, summer science kits, class awards that actually fit each kid, and two letter-writing activities that connect students across time. These are low-cost, low-prep, and genuinely meaningful. Stay for the freebie: a 22-idea checklist across four categories to help you make the most of your final days.
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The last week of school is its own thing — academically winding down but emotionally still very much alive. In this episode Nicole walks through her favorite end-of-year traditions: the ones that are personal, low-cost, and actually land with kids. From a word cloud that shows students how their classmates see them, to class awards where every single kid gets recognized for something true to them, to a letter-writing tradition that connects fifth graders to their future senior-year selves — these are the ideas worth keeping in your back pocket year after year.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- the student word cloud — how to collect words from every classmate, add your own, and give kids a snapshot of who they are in fifth grade through the eyes of the people around them
- a summer science kit that travels home with them
- why class awards matter more than school awards for a lot of kids — and how to make sure every student gets recognized for something specific and true to them
- the Challenge 24 tournament and why even the kids who don't make the finals get invested
- two letter-writing activities: letters to next year's students and letters to their future senior selves — and the school tradition that delivers them at graduation
- a 22-idea end-of-year checklist across four categories, free for Substack subscribers
📬 Stay Connected
- 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
- 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
- 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
- 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/