Submitted by Dianne Park, San Diego, California

Idea posted September 20, 2001

For our back-to-school night, I promised the principal a 10 minute show. I am having everybody do Hello songs from K8! The leaders are the second graders because they have these songs down pat.Here's what we are doing:

  1. Raise flag to National Anthem
  2. All say Pledge of Allegiance
  3. Sing America (My Country Tis Of Thee)
  4. Song: Hola Amigos (3x)
  5. [Second graders demonstrate a greeting game: After Hola Amigos 1X through, they turn to their neighbor, shake his hand and say "Let's shake hands, say how do you do?" "clap clap /pat pat (pat neighbor's hands), Toodle-oo!" (I got this idea from some wonderful K8-er). I will ask the audience to do this, too, and join us in our song. Do song again, game again, song again.]
  6. Hellos in many languages. I will say, "We want to welcome you and greet you with hello from many parts of the world. We just sang "Hello Friends" in Spanish, how about in German? All kids "tip their hats" and say Guten Tag. We have about 8 different hellos we'll do- the kids love to do: India- nameste, Israel- Shalom, Africa (Swahili)- Jambo, Russian-Sdrast-voo-tsi, French (more hat tipping)-Bon Jour, Chinese-Ni Hau, Japanese-Konichiwa. They like to bow on these, etc.
  7. Song: "I'm so glad to be here"- Tell audience they may participate in the actions, too. (No doubt small brothers and sisters will be happy to.)
  8. Song "Say Hello" from Greg & Steve's "Everybody Has Music Inside" show. This is an echo song, so the audience and singers will echo me.
  9. That's it- the parents should feel throughly greeted, and everyone will go off to their classrooms.