Carmie Sorentino of Rowan University suggests keeping a copy of each handout over the year, copying those handouts, and distributing them at year's end. That way children can review the curriculum over the summer. This is also an excellent way to bring newcomers to a classroom up to date on what has happened. At the Durand School, Vineland, New Jersey, first grade teachers send home a booklet of all the songs the children have learned throughout the year. Since most of these are math and literacy-related, they provide excellent review of important skills, as well as a reading experience.
Most libraries offer a summer reading program for children.
You might also promise to attend the first few meetings to help your students feel more comfortable. If you taught arts and crafts in your classroom, you might put directions for these in a ziplock bag with supplies for beginning a project. This will provide a prompt for children of how to begin, and their creativity will take it from there. The Heydenberks presented information and perspectives on their many years of experience in helping schools assess and refine their conflict resolution programs. Norristown High School's Peer Mediation Project.