August, 2006

It's almost here for our five year olds, the first day of school. They have looked forward to it with excitement and fear all summer. Some have asked repeatedly how much longer until it arrives and others have sat quietly hoping it will go away and their young lives will not change.

For all, there are wonders to be learned and fears to be overcome. There is a new person in their lives — the teacher. Although the persons will change over time the teacher will be ever present in their lives for the next 13 years. There will be teachers that they remember forever. Almost every one has teachers who create life changing experiences for him or her.

Those life changing experiences are far in the future when you're five years old. The future they know is they will be going to a new place to spend the year with new adults and new children that they do not know. Helping our youngest students make the adjustment to the new expectations and the new relationships of school is one of the most critical roles for our kindergarten teachers.

Certainly reading, writing and arithmetic are critical skills but there are other equally important things that our first year students will learn and practice. Learning that we have to share, that we have to be part of a group, and that sometimes we have to lead the group are all important skills that first begin in the home and then have to be practiced as children learn to "do school". The interpersonal skills and attitudes that children learn in kindergarten and their pre-school years are the cornerstones for the kind of adult they will become.

The almost 2,000 students who will enter our kindergarten represent children from many ethnic groups, cultures, languages and religions. They will come from all socio-economic levels and types of homes. That diversity is one of the real jewels of our school district. For the first time, many of them will see the world in which they will live, work and play. Their ability to relate successfully with all of the people in our world is critical for their future success.

Our students will take many different roads in the thirteen year journey ahead. Some will struggle and some will be unbelievably successful. Some will reach new heights in their adult life in academics, fine arts, business or sports. The biggest contributors to our society, however, will be our students who grow up to be good and kind people, have jobs that contribute to making this a better place and participate actively in their community and nation's life.

Kindergartners are bright with enthusiasm and their pencils are poised to learn everything we have to teach. Our challenge as a community and as a school district is to see that they leave us at the end of the journey with the same enthusiasm for life and the love of learning that they brought to us that very first day.