Families gain a foothold at Kindergarten Kickoff
Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Friday, July 30, 2010
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Kindergarten Kickoff gave youngsters a chance to demonstrate what they already know, which gives teachers a sense of where to begin on the first day of school.
As the first day of kindergarten approaches, Fayette County families are gearing up for some changes in routine and new experiences. And for those sending an only child out into the world, the prospect is bittersweet.
“It’ll be good for him. It’s just hard to bring him here and let him go,” said Taylor Jones-Duren, whose son is enrolled at Southern Elementary.
She’s not really worried about her youngster, whom she described as easygoing and well-rounded. “Once he warms up to you, he’s ready to go,” she said.
Jones-Duren, husband Ryan and their son dropped by Southern for the Kindergarten Kickoff, a districtwide event designed to orient incoming students and their parents, too.
“It’s a time for Southern to build relationships with families,” said new principal Leigh Ann McLaughlin, who greeted folks in the school library.
At one table, Lisa Doctrow filled out paperwork as her fraternal twins headed down the hall for assessment. Since they’ve been in a structured preschool, she anticipates a smooth transition to kindergarten.
“They’re very close, but I definitely want them to be separated,” Doctrow said, noting how her boys’ personalities are developing as they become more independent. “I can’t wait for them to start reading!” she added.
Across the county, parents met staff at their child’s school and got their questions answered on the spot. They also picked up classroom supply lists and bus tags, filled out a few necessary forms and had an opportunity to sign up as a school volunteer.
Meanwhile, a teacher spent 20 to 30 minutes with each child to get a sense of what the youngsters already know. For instance, the assessment checked whether a child could write his name, recognize a pattern and sort objects by size.
“We go through the letters and sounds, and shapes and numbers one-on-one with the kids,” explained Correy Gannon, who teaches at Booker T. Washington Academy.
For Andrea Harris, mother of a kindergartner and a 22-year-old son, it’s been quite a while since she was involved at school. “It’s going to be a lot different,” she admitted.
But Harris pointed out that her boys, though years apart, actually had the same Early Start teacher.
“A lot of the staff knows him here, so I feel very comfortable with the upcoming school year,” she said as her youngest bounded back into the library at Booker T.’s primary center.
Teachers and principals agree that gathering data on kindergarteners’ math and literacy skills in advance gives them a jump on things.
“This way, we actually begin small groups the first week of school and we get down to business,” said Debi Owens, a kindergarten teacher at Southern. “It tells us exactly where to start in getting them ready to read.”
Registration
About 3,200 kindergartners are expected to enroll this year. Fayette County families can register their children through Aug. 11, the first day of school.