What Is Your Favorite Activity?
	Starting A New School Year Prepared
	by Pam Bridgehouse
	At the beginning of the school year I go to all the classroom teachers to find out their themes of study and I support those as much as possible and still start preparations for the Christmas and spring programs.
	One thing I do may be a little different from others. In the spring, the last two music periods, or sometimes three, I have each class make up a list of their favorite music class activities. When someone chooses a game, that person is the first one to be "it" and says how many turns of that game we will play.
	I record their choices on a large piece of paper which remains posted in the music room until school's out. Anything that doesn't get done is what we start with in the fall. That way they have a feeling of continuity and get to start the year with some favorite stuff. And I have my first two classes of lesson plans fleshed out. It's fun for the children and it takes a little heat off me. Usually I like to go into the summer with the first 2 weeks of school in my plan book.