My class theme for the 2007-2008 school year was Racing.  We called ourselves the Team Newingham Pit Crew.   Below is a description of how I incorporated the theme into my bulletin boards, classroom management, and other activities throughout the school year.

On the first day of school, each student took a picture in a race car driver uniform I purchased online.  I then used Print Shop to crop the students' faces and place them in front of a "Team Newingham Driver" Poster.

Students also completed a "Driver Profile" in which they described themselves and their personalities.

Download Race Car Driver Print Shop Files (WinZip File)

(You must have WinZip to unzip the files.  There are also fonts included that you will need to install on your computer.)

***Note: You must have Print Shop installed on your computer to open the Print Shop files once you have unzipped them.

Once you have opened the file in Print Shop, you can double click in the headlines to change the text.  You will also have to delete the current picture and insert pictures of your students.  I use the freehand crop tool in Print Shop to cut around the students' heads.

After:

See all of the Driver Posters!

Our class jobs were known as "Pit Crew" Responsibilities.  I do not have the job titles and sign available to download, but I created them in Print Shop.

Read more about Classroom Jobs and our Classroom Economy

Race Car Driver Movie

We made a movie at the beginning of the year after the Team Newingham Drivers wrote about what they would be doing in 20 years.  It was shown to parents at Curriculum Night.

Watch the Movie (19 MB)

During the year, many teachers have students honored as "Star of the Week."  If you choose racing as your theme for the year, students can instead be called Driver of the Week.

Read more about Driver of the Week

End of the Year Celebration or Open House

At the end of our school year, we celebrated our wonderful year together with a "Grand Prix" video celebration where the Team Newingham Drivers and their parents enjoyed a memory video with photos and video footage from our favorite events throughout the school year.  This could also be done at an open house or other similar event.

Read more and see pictures from this special event!