Great start to a great year!

I can already tell this is going to be a fantastic year!  My students are so sweet this year.  They are way more innocent than my students last year.  I already have formed some great relationships with them.  I have tried something new this year.  I decided to have a morning meeting with both classes this year to get an opportunity to have the kids share their lives with me.  They and I are loving it.  I also write them a little message and one day I ran out of time....they were so upset.  Funny...you wouldn't think it would affect fifth graders so much.  I really love having them share stuff with me.  I feel like I know them better already!  Teachers in younger grades have always done this but fifth grade typically doesn't but I am so glad that I am invest the time each morning to do this.  I think it will help us all too when my teaching partner is out for maternity leave.