InKredible Kids
A podcast with Kosher content geared toward empowering Jewish kids of all ages. We interview kids from around the world and have many interactive segments for all kids to enjoy. While having fun and learning new skills, kids will hear about responsibility, empathy, confidence, and more!
InKredible Kids
InKredible Kids Back-To-School Pep Rally
Ever wondered if you're the only one nervous on the first day of school too? This episode dives into the universal experience of "first day jitters" through storytelling, personal anecdotes, and real experiences from inkredible kids around the world.
We kick things off with a reading of the beloved children's book "First Day Jitters," which reveals that nervousness isn't limited to students—teachers feel those butterflies too! Morah Tziri shares about her own experiences both as a child switching schools and as a teacher who sometimes cried on the first day because she wanted everything to work out. These conversations create a safe space for children to acknowledge their own mixed feelings about returning to school.
The magic of this episode comes from the authentic stories submitted by young listeners. From unexpected school building delays that turned into adventures, to a shocking tale of a scorpion falling from a classroom ceiling, to the embarrassment of walking into the wrong classroom that turned into a lasting friendship—these real-life experiences demonstrate how first-day nerves often lead to memorable stories rather than disasters. A guided visualization exercise walks children through what to expect, helping transform anxiety into anticipation.
Ready to face those first-day butterflies with confidence? Listen now, and don't forget our simple challenge: smile at one new person and say hello. That small act of kindness could change someone else's entire first day!
Hey kids, welcome back to the next episode of the Incredible Kids Podcast. My name is Moritz Ciri and I will be your host. Through this incredible journey, we are going to meet many incredible kids. They are going to share with us their stories, some of them super cool and different like you've never heard before, and some you may say are just ordinary, but all of them incredible. If you have great ideas, email me today at ikidspodcasts at gmailcom.
Speaker 1:And now it's time for Incredible Kids. It's time for the joke of the day. Yay, today's joke is brought to you by RAG from Queens, new York. Why did the kid bring a ladder to school? Because he wanted to go to high school. Hi, incredible kids, it's Moritziri here. And guess what? It's time for the first day of school. Some of you are excited, some of you are nervous and some of you are maybe a little bit of both. And guess what? That is 100%, totally normal. Today we're going to laugh together, share real stories from incredible kids just like you, and we're even going to do a pep rally, cheer to help us feel brave and ready.
Speaker 1:And I'm going to share one of my favorite, favorite, favorite books of all time. I'll tell you about it right now the name of the book is called First Day Jitters. If you know the story already, just listen again. I read this story a billion times. I used to read it in my classroom on the first day of school. It just made everybody laugh and made us realize that the way that we feel, whether it just made everybody laugh and made us realize that the way that we feel, whether it's excited or nervous, is all normal. So here we go. Okay, so this story. I used to read it to my class on the first day of school for many years and there's always people that said, oh, you know this already. And I was like I also know this already, but I'm also excited to read it again, because this is the kind of book I want to read every year around the first day. So it could be that your teachers are going to read this to you too, and hopefully you're not going to be that one that goes like we know this already. Just smile and listen again. You're just listening to me read the story. But if you have the book First Day Jitters or you get a hold of it, the pictures are really cute and funny. Nothing really compares. Here it goes First Day Jitters by Julie Dannenberg and illustrated by Judy Love.
Speaker 1:Sarah, dear time to get out of bed, mr Hartwell said, poking his head through the bedroom doorway. You don't want to miss the first day at your new school, do you? I'm not going, said Sarah and pulled the covers over her head. Of course you're going, honey, said Mr Hartwell as he walked over to the window and snapped up the shade. No, I'm not. I don't want to start over again.
Speaker 1:I hate my new school, sarah, said she tunneled down to the end of her bed. How can you hate your new school, sweetheart? Mr Hartwell chuckled. You've never been there before, don't worry. You liked your other school. You'll like this one. Besides, just think of all the new friends you'll meet. That's just it. I don't know anybody and it will be hard, and I just hate it. That's all. What will everyone think if you aren't there? We told them you were coming. They will think that I am lucky and they will wish that they were at home in bed like me, mr Hartwell sighed.
Speaker 1:Sarah Jane Hartwell, I'm not playing this silly game one second longer. I'll see you downstairs in five minutes. Now, since you don't actually see the pictures, I'll just tell you at this point. Whoever this Sarah is, we haven't seen her face yet, but she's underneath the pillow, hiding under her covers in her bed, and she is not coming out. She doesn't want to get in trouble. So Sarah tumbled out of bed. She stumbled into the bathroom. She fumbled into her clothes my head hurts she moaned as she trudged into the kitchen. Mr Hartwell handed Sarah a piece of toast and her lunchbox. That sounds like the kind of breakfast you would eat in a rush. Here you go, take it to go.
Speaker 1:They walked to the car. Sarah's hands were cold and clammy. That's a sign of her probably being nervous. They drove down the street. She couldn't breathe. Well, she probably could breathe, but you know expression. And then they were there. I feel sick, said Sarah weakly.
Speaker 1:Nonsense, said Mr Hartwell. You'll love your new school once you get started. Look, there's your principal, mrs Burton. Sarah slumped down in her seat. Most kids are not so excited to see the principal, right, sarah? Mrs Burton gushed peeking into the car. There you are, come on, I'll show you where to go. Sounds like a nice principal. So she led Sarah into the building and walked quickly through the crowded hallways. Don't worry, everyone is nervous. The first day she said over her shoulder as Sarah rushed to keep up. When they got to the classroom, most of the children were already in their seats. The class looked up as Mrs Burton cleared her throat. Class, class, attention, please, said Mrs Burton. When the class was quiet, she led Sarah to the front of the room and said class. I would like you to meet your new teacher, mrs Sarah Jane Hartwell Boy. And that's how the book ends.
Speaker 1:And now, if you hadn't known before that Sarah, the whole time was actually not a student at all, it was the teacher having those first day jitters. And, yes, even teachers got nervous on the first day of school. And you know what, guys? That is so true. I was a classroom teacher for many years and guess what, at the beginning of every year I was nervous too. In fact, even though I spent the whole summer shopping for my classroom and redoing the furniture and cleaning it and decorating the walls and making new coloring sheets and designing new curriculum and always thinking of new things. I'll tell you something very true Sometimes I would even cry on the first few days of school. Yep, moritziri was crying Shocker, not because I didn't want to be there, but because I was nervous and I wanted so badly for everything to go right and if something didn't go right I would get overwhelmed and I would cry sometimes. But I always got my act together and we always had a great year. And when I was your age, I definitely had those jitters too.
Speaker 1:I actually switched schools when I was going into first grade. So when I was ready for first grade I walked into this big building. I didn't know anybody. It was a huge school with four classes in a grade. I was so nervous, but I was also excited. There was something exciting about being in a new place. Jitters and excitement are like twins. They feel almost the same, like those little butterflies inside of you. And just when I got used to that school took me about a year the very next year, at the beginning of second grade, the entire school was moved to a new, brand new building, which was great. Brand new, fresh building, not the old yucky one anymore. But everything was new again. And I still remember our teacher taking us on a tour of the new building and I remember thinking it was so cool that she took us to see the water fountain. Yeah, I thought the water fountain was the highlight. I still remember her saying everybody this is the water fountain. So if you ever felt nervous about the first day of school, you're not alone. I did too, and so do your teachers, and so do kids.
Speaker 1:Speaking of new school buildings, listen to this incredible story from Chana and Bachava Sternbach. So they sent in this story and I want to share it with you. This is what they told me. Our school moved to a new building the day before it was supposed to start. There was an issue with the inspection or something, and they couldn't start on time, so they had to entertain us for like a week or two or three. They brought us to all different places and gave gift cards to restaurants our parents took us to, whose owners sent kids to our school, like the Cookie Corner and Rosemary. It was crazy. One day they gave us a few options of places we could go with our parents for free, and one day the older grades got to go to American Dream Mall and the younger grades got to go to Climb Zone, but we had to wear our uniforms. Finally, our school opened and we had a great year.
Speaker 1:Wow, imagine expecting a regular first day of school and instead you get trips and restaurants. Sometimes surprises make the best first day memories. Okay, let's play a little game called Guess who's nervous. Okay, guess who's nervous. Here's one voice. What if I forget where my classroom is? And here's another voice what if my students don't like me? Which one was the student and which was the teacher? That's right, they both have jitters. But sometimes it's not even about being nervous about people. Sometimes something totally unexpected can happen.
Speaker 1:Here's a story from Sarah Lauer, age eight, from Phoenix, arizona. Once on my sister's first day of school in fifth grade, she had a substitute because her teacher was out of town. She went to school, she was having a very fun time and in the middle of class a scorpion fell from the ceiling onto her friend's desk and it was very, very scary. Can you imagine that happening in your class? I think everyone teachers and students would have jitters after that. All right, incredible kids. Time to shake off those jitters with a pep rally cheer. I want you to say it nice and loud whether you're at home, in the car or walking somewhere, I don't care. Where Are you ready? Repeat after me. I am brave, I can make new friends, I will have fun. And here's proof that jitters can turn into something wonderful. This story comes from Ellie Rosen in Lakewood, new Jersey.
Speaker 1:On my first day of school in third grade I was so nervous I would forget my locker combination. I kept practicing it in my head 12, 24, 7. 12, 24, 7. When I finally got to school, I was so busy thinking about it that I walked right into the wrong classroom. Everyone just stared at me. The teacher smiled and said Ellie, I think you're in the room next door. I was so embarrassed. But by the end of the day I already made a new friend in my real class and we still laugh about it every year. So you see, even mistakes and jitters can lead to new friendships and memories. Sometimes it helps to think ahead of what you can expect. Let's imagine your first day together. Okay, kids, I want you to close your eyes and imagine it's your very first day of school. Let's walk through it together.
Speaker 1:You wake up bright and early. The alarm clock rings, you stretch, you get dressed and put on your backpack. You eat a quick breakfast Maybe your favorite cereal, and your tummy is full of butterflies and cornflakes. At the same time, the bus pulls up outside, whoosh. You climb on and you see kids chatting and waving to friends. You walk down the hall. Your shoes squeak a little on the shiny floor. You find your classroom and there's your teacher smiling and saying Welcome.
Speaker 1:The day begins with davening. You open your sitter and, together with your class, you say moda, ani, shema and all the tfilos. Your voice mixes with everyone else's. It sounds so strong and beautiful. You take a deep breath and whisper a little tefillah in your heart Hashem, please help me have a good first day. Doesn't that feel calming? The bell rings. The day has officially begun.
Speaker 1:You sit at your desk, open a brand new notebook and take a deep breath. You try your best on that first assignment. Maybe it's writing your name nice and neat, maybe it's answering a silly question about your favorite color. Before you know it, it's lunchtime. You open your lunchbox Hmm, what did you bring? Maybe a sandwich, maybe pizza, maybe something your mom or dad packed special. You trade snacks with a new friend and laugh about something funny that happened in class.
Speaker 1:Then it's recess. The sun is shining, kids are running around, bouncing balls, swinging, giggling. You're having fun, the jitters are gone and then, just like that, the last bell rings. The school day is over. You survived the first day. Bravo, bravo, bravo. And maybe, just maybe you're already excited for tomorrow. If you're with somebody else right now, tell the person next to you what part of school you're most excited for, because, even with all the nerves, there's got to be something that's going to make you antsy to be there. So, incredible kids Remember everyone has first aid jitters, even teachers, even parents and sometimes even scorpions. Your challenge this week is simple Smile at one new person and say hello. That one smile could change their whole first day. Thank you to our story submitters, hanan Bacheva, sarah and Ellie, and thank you for being part of our incredible kids back to school pep rally. This was Moritziri. Go be brave, go be kind and have the most incredible first day ever.
Speaker 1:And if you enjoyed Incredible Kids podcast today, then make sure that you are subscribed on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, on our YouTube channel, wherever you access our incredible content. The more that you like and follow, the more visibility we get. I get messages all the time from people telling me hey, I heard about Incredible Kids quite by accident because it popped up in my feed, and you know why that happens to people Because of your ratings, follows, comments. It just encourages the podcast to get to many more audiences. And how cool is it that you can be part of having this chutz, of having more people be exposed to this content, this kosher content that's building strong, resilient, incredible Jewish children and families all around the world.
Speaker 1:And I just want to end off with a bracha that every single one of you should have a year where you gain a lot in school and grow and connect to the material that you're learning, but you really are finding out and discovering more about yourself in the process. I hope that you're able to connect with your friends and your teachers and remember, if it's hard in the beginning, give it time. Give your friends time, give your teachers time. It takes everyone time to warm up and in Mirtza Shem we will have a great school year. Are you an incredible kid? Send your story to ikidspodcasts at gmailcom. Subscribe today to the Incredible Kids Podcast. Thanks for listening and remember you are all Incredible Kids.
