We want to take a moment to spotlight the Kindergarten Readiness programs that were hosted at several of our elementary schools. For many incoming kindergarten students and their parents, the first day of school can be very emotional. You’re in a brand new school, you’re in a new classroom–or you have never been in a classroom before, you’re surrounded by new adults, new kids, big kids, and a whole lot of new routine. Needless to say, the start of your very first school year can be overwhelming.
Thanks to these readiness programs, kindergarten students are provided the opportunity to come to school a few days before school begins. For many of our schools, this program was just a few hours a day for 2-3 days. This ends up being the perfect amount of time for a student to come in and get to know some peers. Students are also able to familiarize themselves with the classrooms, and school building, as well as practice several important routines such as lining up and walking quietly in the hallways. In addition to being a wonderful opportunity for our newest and youngest students, our teachers have also been very pleased with this initiative.
The Kindergarten team at Oakland Beach Elementary had thefollowing to say about their experience. “Upon reflection, we noticed how our future Kindergarteners progressed in a short period of time. Providing this program helped us [teachers] introduce the classroom schedule, routine, and behavior expectations. We were amazed at how quickly our Kinders embraced their new roles as students while building school readiness skills. And, the Kinders who attended the program will no doubt become peer models for students unable to attend. We found this program helped alleviate those ‘first-day jitters’ that we have observed in the past from incoming Kinders and families.”
We are so grateful for the opportunity these Kindergarten Readiness programs provide students and families and look forward to continuing these initiatives in the future.