Kindergarten after-school: using the flashcard set (once a week)
The group uses one large flashcard to talk about a thank-you situation before anyone writes. This once a week plan is for kindergarten children in a after-school group.
about 5 and 6- 5 to 10 minutes missions
- once a week
Using the flashcard set for kindergarten in a after-school group
The group uses one large flashcard to talk about a thank-you situation before anyone writes. In this after-school room, kindergarten children (about 5 and 6) practice with “The heavy door held open.” Ms. Ortiz, the office manager, she held a heavy door so a child with a box could walk through. The once a week calendar is the one that fits: This is the once-per-week format from the second half of the manual, written for groups and clubs that do not meet daily. One meeting carries the mission. A single home task goes in the activity book. Do not try to compress five school days into one hour.
The after-school leader leads. Children have already been in school. Skip silent copying drills. Say the line, act the kindness, and write only the note the program is building toward. Children answer in a morning-meeting turn, with children repeating one line together before anyone writes. The spoken line is “Thank you for holding the door..” The note line is “Thank you for holding the door while I carried the box..” Alison Gilham’s program supplies the manual, the activity book, and the flashcards; this page is the plan for this group and this kindness.
One once a week meeting in the after-school room
This is the once-per-week format from the second half of the manual, written for groups and clubs that do not meet daily. One meeting carries the mission. A single home task goes in the activity book. Do not try to compress five school days into one hour. In the after-school room, the after-school leader has one sitting with kindergarten children, about 5 and 6. Do not replay a school week. Children have already been in school. Skip silent copying drills. Say the line, act the kindness, and write only the note the program is building toward.
Open on “The heavy door held open.” Tell the group that Ms. Ortiz, the office manager, she held a heavy door so a child with a box could walk through at the office doorway. Put a box and a heavy door in sight. Ask all three questions, one at a time: “What would have happened to the box if the door had swung shut?” “Who do you thank when two people are near the door?” “What is a short thanks you can say while your hands are full?” Children answer in a morning-meeting turn, with children repeating one line together before anyone writes. Stop answers that are only “they were nice.”
Say the spoken line together: “Thank you for holding the door.” Then each child says it to a partner. Hold one card. Ask what the person did. Match the card to the page in the activity book only after the children have said the kindness in their own words. The after-school leader listens for Ms. Ortiz's name and for a box and a heavy door.
Words to say about Ms. Ortiz
This is a script the after-school leader can say with kindergarten children during using the flashcard set. It uses “The heavy door held open,” a practice situation for this plan. It is not a list of the 30 printed flashcards. Those cards stay in the set and match the activity book. Use this script when you need the words in the room.
The note for Ms. Ortiz
The adult writes the helper’s name if needed. The child copies “Thank you for” and then adds a few of their own words or a drawing of the kindness. For this kindness the sentence is “Thank you for holding the door while I carried the box.” It has to mention the office doorway or a box and a heavy door, not a general compliment to the office manager.
Age tips for kindergarten (about 5 and 6)
Kindergarten is the right moment to make thank you a habit, because morning meeting already asks children to look at one another. The language stays simple enough for early readers. Missions stay short so they fit circle time without replacing the rest of the day. For this after-school plan, keep the mission inside 5 to 10 minutes. a morning-meeting turn, with children repeating one line together before anyone writes.
Copy-ready lines for “The heavy door held open”
Spoken line to practice: “Thank you for holding the door.” Reply children may hear: “I have it. Go ahead.” Note line to write: “Thank you for holding the door while I carried the box.” Spanish line for the same kindness: “Gracias por sostener la puerta.”
Who is in the after-school room
After-school groups are tired. The mission has to be shorter than the day’s homework help and more concrete than a talk about character. Flashcards give the group something to look at. The weekly format fits programs that do not meet every weekday.
What Ms. Ortiz's lesson needs
The flashcard set has 30 cards, 8.5 by 11 inches, colorful, with rounded corners. The cards mirror the activity book so the group can look at one situation before writing. Each child needs Why and How To Say “Thank You,” the classroom edition: a saddle-stitched activity book with situations for saying thank you, the How To Write A Thank You Note template, and extra pages to practice. The Operation Thank You Manual is 98 pages. The first half is the Monday–Friday classroom sequence. The second half is the once-per-week sequence for clubs. The manual, the activity book, and the flashcards are available in Spanish. The MISSION Reminders Supplement can be added when some children speak Spanish. Extra activity books are sold in packs of 10. For “The heavy door held open,” also set out a box and a heavy door. Hold one card. Ask what the person did. Match the card to the page in the activity book only after the children have said the kindness in their own words.
Classroom and group notes for the after-school room
After-school groups are tired. The mission has to be shorter than the day’s homework help and more concrete than a talk about character. Flashcards give the group something to look at. The weekly format fits programs that do not meet every weekday. Children have already been in school. Skip silent copying drills. Say the line, act the kindness, and write only the note the program is building toward.
If kindergarten children stall on Ms. Ortiz
Give a child a box and a closed door. They may not say a long sentence. One clear line is the goal. A child who keeps thanking the after-school leader is avoiding Ms. Ortiz. Send them back to the office manager and the moment at the office doorway. Whispering “Thank you for holding the door.” counts.
Home work after The heavy door held open
Hold a door for someone at home and also thank the person who usually holds it for you. Write that in the activity book so the family sees Ms. Ortiz's kindness, not a blank “say thank you.” The adult writes the helper’s name if needed. The child copies “Thank you for” and then adds a few of their own words or a drawing of the kindness.
Spanish materials in this group
If any child in the after-school room speaks Spanish at home, order the Spanish activity book for that child and keep the same situation. The Spanish line for this plan is “Gracias por sostener la puerta.” The English line remains “Thank you for holding the door.”
Books for this after-school kindergarten group
Spoken practice about Ms. Ortiz can start in the after-school room today. The activity-book template matters when kindergarten children are ready to write “Thank you for holding the door while I carried the box..” If a sponsor is funding this after-school group, parents get a sample letter, and shipping is included on full and partial packages. The leader can ask at no cost.
Questions leaders ask
Let's Grow a Culture of Thank You.
Whether you're a parent, teacher, organization, business, or individual looking to make a difference, there's a place for you in the Culture of Thank You.
Let's help the next generation learn to recognize kindness, appreciate others,
and say “Thank You” with meaning.