OT: School Welcome Kit Ideas-- Elementary Kids

[ekatiel]

I volunteer for a Christian-based club at my kiddos' elementary school. We want the kids to participate in some sort of service project for the school, so we decided to make "welcome kits" for students who are new to the school. The kits will be non-religious, since the kids attend a public school. The counselor will hand them out to new kids to make them feel welcome. We're stumped on what sort of items to put in the kit. Here's what we've got so far:
-- A letter/picture drawn by one of the kids in our club welcoming them to the school.
-- A couple of pre-sharpened pencils.
--Maybe coupons from local restaurants, if we can get them to donate some?
-- An allergen friendly piece of candy
What else would be helpful for a child new to a school/community?? I've googled, and all I come across are the symbolic type kits (a hershey's hug for hugs, an rubber band to remember to stretch your mind, etc). While those are cute, I'd really like to put things in that would actually be helpful to them, not just symbolic. These kids are k-5th grade, by the way. Thanks for any ideas!! --Katie

 

[mom2cookies]

why not ask the students what they think? How about a notepad to go with those pencils? Map of the school?

 

[dawnball]

I'm trying to think of what my DD might have found useful when she changed schools in second grade.

A school map.
A note describing any unusual/regional playground games - the current school plays grounders, her last school played ga-ga.
Pictures of all the teachers/primary admin staff, with their names.
A "how to" guide - remembering everything from how you get playground balls to where you're allowed to park your bike was a lot to take in. There was a lot of school-specific information that it took most of the year to pick up on.
Favorite playgrounds/hangouts/pools/diversions.
A really good eraser.

I'll second the idea of asking the kids in the club - a big part of what kids get from participating in something like this is putting themselves in that new kid's shoes and learning how to reach out to them.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

How about something with the school name on it? A Tshirt or hat might be out of your budget, but perhaps a drawstring backpack or pencil case? Pencil, sticker they could put on their notebook? Something that sort of says "welcome to the team at ____ school!"

Are there any clubs or teams at the school? (Intermural sports, math team, Destination Imagination....) Include info on those?

 

[robsmom]

Magnets with the school name, phone number, snow cancellation number or other key facts?

 

[MomToOne]

What does the school already provide? Do they give a copy of the Student Handbook, school calendar, lunch menu, etc? Or could that go into your kit?

Is this a kit that will be given out to all new kids (e.g. all kids starting kindergarten at the beginning of the year) or just kids who come in mid-year?

ETA: How about a laminated tag of some sort for their backpack?