There is something different about the first day of the final school year.

It is still a beginning - new lessons, new goals, new challenges - but there is also a sense that something is coming to an end.

For students, it can be a moment of mixed feelings: excitement, curiosity, nostalgia, uncertainty… perhaps even a little anxiety about what comes next.

So, instead of starting the year by simply looking ahead, why not give them a moment to look back, around, and forward?

That's the idea behind The Last First Day: Where We Are, Where We Are GOING.

1. Warm-up (5 minutes):

On the board draw a simple timeline: Past → Present → Future and ask: How do you feel knowing this is your last first day of school?.
A few volunteers share in English (even one-word answers are fine: excited, nostalgic, nervous).

2. Group work: the timeline (15 minutes) - students’ worksheet part 1 🖇️ :

Divide students into small groups (3–4). Each group gets the students’ worksheet to complete the task: write 3–4 sentences for each part of the timeline in English.

Encourage them to use: 

Past (memories, achievements): “We discovered Shakespeare’s tragedies.” / “We struggled with grammar tests.”

Present (emotions, current challenges): “We are preparing for our final exams.” / “We feel both excited and scared.”

Future (dreams, expectations): “We will study at university.” / “We hope to travel the world.”

Language focus: gently remind them of verb tense accuracy (Past Simple, Present Continuous, Future with will or going to).

3. Sharing (10 minutes):

Each group reads out 1–2 sentences from each section.

Teacher writes key sentences on the board → together you build a collective class timeline.

4. Personal Reflection Writing (15 minutes) - students’ worksheet part 2 🖇️:

Individual task: students write a short personal reflection paragraph in English, inspired by the timeline.

Prompt:

One important thing I learned in the past is…

Now I feel… because…

In the future, I hope…

Encourage them to keep it authentic!

5. Closing Circle (5 minutes) OPTIONAL:

Go around the room: each student shares just one word that sums up their feeling about this school year.