13 Years. 8,000 Schools. These are the 4 highest-rated start-of-year activities from our member principals.

 
 

$49.00

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What is it?

The first few weeks of school are unlike any other time of the year, and they're surprisingly easy to get wrong. All too often, administrators start the year trying to build community with activities that teachers would rather skip.

The thing is, teachers don't mind having fun. They mind wasting time.

Start of School Year Masters is our hand-picked collection of the four start-of-year activities most highly rated by our member principals because they consistently create genuine friendships, laughter, and combat burnout from the start, all while respecting your staff's time.

Everything is laid out for you with simple copy-and-paste emails and step-by-step instructions, freeing you to focus on everything else on your start-of-year to-do list.

How Much?

$49.00

Satisfaction Guaranteed - Love it or simply email us to exchange or refund.

How It Works

Pick and choose where and when to use each activity during the first weeks or even months of the new year.

  • The Great Escape starts with a simple truth: nothing is worse than sitting through a team-building meeting when your own classroom still isn't ready. But while teachers don't want another meeting, simply not interacting with coworkers isn't the answer either. Instead, the principal offers a deal: "escape" team building this year by completing a checklist of real-life social adventures over the next few weeks. Grab coffee, have dinner at a Mexican restaurant, take a walk, snap a picture next to a cow, or choose from dozens of other challenges that naturally bring people together. Staff feel like they're being treated as adults, genuine friendships emerge, and you've built the foundation for a stronger school community… all without adding another meeting to anyone's calendar.

  • Cache Cab is a surprise hallway game that turns a contestant’s morning walk to their classroom into the highlight of the day. Inspired by the TV show Cash Cab, teachers ride a decorated rolling chair while answering fun school trivia for prizes from the "cache,” which is a perfect excuse to hand out those small privileges that mean so much throughout the year (Bus Duty Pass, Leave Early Pass, Paperwork Pass, etc.). Within minutes, the hallways are filled with laughter, supporters, and the kind of positive energy that spreads through the entire building. Best of all, you can bring it back anytime you want another morale boost.

  • Worth Remembering may be the most impactful activity in this entire packet. While the others create laughter and friendships, this one creates trust. Drawn from one of the most common leadership habits we've seen among exceptional principals, Worth Remembering makes it crystal clear that you're on your staff's side and invested in helping them succeed. Your staff will feel heard, supported, and valued from the very beginning of the year.

  • Seeeecrets turns ten minutes of a staff meeting into one of the most entertaining yet useful contests of the year. Veteran staff share the inside knowledge, traditions, and little shortcuts that make your school unique, while new staff immediately begin to feel like insiders.

Reviews:

“These are so valuable to my staff.  The Great Escape was an amazing 3 months of fun that just kept going.  THANKS!!!" -Duane Ehmen

“The SEECRETS activity was a HUGE hit! At first it was a great way to open up and help “on-board” our new staff, but we loved it so much that we’ve made it a permanent section in our monthly newsletter.” – Carrie Bonilla

“This was exactly what I’ve been looking for! It took all of this start of year culture planning off my plate which was just what I needed. We’ve had the best energy to start a year ever. Sooooo much fun, especially Cache Cab! I’m telling all our other principals about it and you can expect to hear from them soon.” – Lara Latto

Bundle and Save

Get Start of Year Masters for only $30 when you add it to your order from the Back to the Faculty page. You’ll see this offer when you click to order Back to the Faculty