I will become friends with students social media once they have graduated from high school.

My 4th graders past and present will occasionally email. I do answer them over the summer.

I send a Dojo message and or postcard reminding them of summer read and feed activities and tell them I miss them. I also do the same when registration opens to remind them it’s time to register for the new year.

I reach out to new students during the summer to connect early, ease their transition, and build trust. This helps them feel welcomed and ready for the school year.

Our district has a summer book bus that runs in varous neighborhoods once a week thoughout the summer, ending at our school for playtime on the playground, or storytime with one of the teachers.
We have also sent out playdates at the park or library as get togethers during the summer just to connect, check in on families, and building school community.