I have my students create a brochure for next year's students, giving them a heads up of what to expect!  There are spaces to share about specific subjects and things they will learn (Math, Reading and Language, Math, Social Studies,) Field Trips they will take, Expectations, and my personal favorite, what they should now about their teacher.  I love seeing what the students write about me ("She loves coffee!" is one I see a lot) and to read the advice they give to new students.

I leave these on desks the next fall during our open house/assessments, for students to look at and read.  It is a great way to welcome them into the classroom and introduce them to the grade!

I have also had students write letters to students, using a freebie template I found on Teachers Pay Teachers.  I did like this activity, but we all know how students are checking out these days, so I found this brochure activity to be a little more interactive and engaging for them.

Even though I am going to be switching grades next year (from 5th grade to K! But that's for another blog post coming soon on Draz's Class) I am still going to have my students create these for my new students; I am going to modify it a bit to be more about how to do school and be successful in Kindergarten.  I know my 5th graders are going to love giving advice to my new students!

I have both a Grades 1-3 version (less bullet points, bigger lines/space) and a Grades 3-6 version available.