A great way to break the ice when coming back from a long summer away from school is doing an activity called the Praise Train. Divide your class in half and have them form two lines with a space between. Have one student walk between the two lines and have the other students offer high fives or praise. Or have each person look across and say something about a student in the other line.
Provide students art supplies such as crayons, construction paper, markers, magazines and scissors. Have them look through the magazines and cut out pictures that make them happy as well as pictures of items that display their attributes. The students can also draw pictures if they cannot find enough photos. When the class is done, have each student present his collage to the class. This reinforces uniqueness.
This activity can put a student more in touch with feelings about herself and who she is. Have each student take out a piece of paper and write a letter, to be read by no one else, about pleasant experiences and goals. When all students are done, have them fold the papers and place them in envelopes. Mail out the letters at the end of the school year. The letters will remind each student of who she was and how she has changed.
Have your students list things that make them happy. Have the students write a list of things such as people, foods, pets and activities that make them feel good about themselves. Students who are younger can draw pictures of these things instead of writing. When each student is finished, hang the drawings or lists on a bulletin board in the front of the class. When your students are having a bad day, take them over to the board to cheer them up.