We started a similar tradition years ago. On the first day of school, I give my kids a sheet of paper with simple block letters spelling out the grade they are entering. They color it in with markers, crayons, or colored pencils and then I take a photo of them holding their sign.
I include the photo of them holding their sign on the cover of their
year-end portfolio. I also save the actual sign and use it as the title page in their portfolios.
Do you think your kids would like to color a 1st Day of School sign? I'm offering a free PDF for your use.
It's not fancy and not something you couldn't create on your own, but I'm providing it here to save you time. Just click print and you are ready to go...even at the last minute!
A few ideas we use to make this even more fun... - We keep the first day of school low pressure. I read aloud while they are coloring signs, then we maybe do one other subject before calling it a day.
- Sometimes I ask the kids to wear a favorite item of clothing for their photograph. It's another way to record and mark the milestone.
Instead of insisting that each kid smile, I try to let them do their own thing for this photo, even if means a frown, a pout, or a silly face.
A Look Back at the Past... 
