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
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