Coralynn Covette shakes hands with her teacher Hannah Estep after receiving her certificate for completing the Kindergarten 101 class at J.B. Stephens Elementary last Friday, July 21. Coralynn was among 75 students to attend the kindergarten-readiness class last week, which is offered through Purdue Extension Hancock County.
Shelley Swift | Daily Reporter
HANCOCK COUNTY – First days can be tough, especially when you’re just 5 years old.
Dozens of new kindergarteners have gotten a head start on their upcoming first day of school by attending the Kindergarten 101 program offered by the Purdue Extension Office of Hancock County.
Seventy-five Greenfield-Central students attended the week-long program at J.B. Stephens Elementary last week, and a dozen are attending the program this week at Eastern Hancock Elementary School.
Both school districts start class Aug. 2.
On Friday, teachers walked their individual groups of students down the hall of J.B. Stephens Elementary, reminding them to walk in a neat line, talk softly and keep their hands to themselves.
The local Purdue Extension office has been offering the program to all Hancock County school districts since 2012.
Each participating student receives a T-shirt and backpack filled with school supplies to get them ready for their first day of big-kid school. Each one also takes home a new book each day from the five-day program, which parents are encouraged to read with their kids.
The students are also provided daily snacks and get to experience eating lunch in the school cafeteria on the last day of the week.
“I hope we have chicken nuggets,” one youngster exclaimed as the students came in from recess Friday afternoon. When they returned to class, they were reminded how to wash their hands and get cleaned up.
“We’re doing everything to walk them through a typical kindergarten day, like lunchtime, circle time, bathroom breaks and recess,” said program organizer Mandy Gray, who had to mediate a couple of playground skirmishes Friday afternoon.
“Just typical playground stuff,” said Gray, a health and human sciences educator for Purdue Extension Hancock County.
On Thursday, the kids learned all about bus safety when a school bus visited J.B. Stephens Elementary School.
The group started the week by touring the building, which is the biggest elementary school in the Greenfield-Central district.
“We have students participating from all (the district’s) elementary schools this year, so even if they won’t be attending here, they’ll at least get the general idea of how a school is laid out,” said Gray.
Five-year-old Trevor Brandt said his favorite part of attending the Kindergarten 101 class last week was getting to draw and listen to stories. “I also liked learning about recycling,” said the young boy, who will attend Harris Elementary School.
Kids who will be attending the same school are matched up throughout the Kindergarten 101 class, so they’ll see some familiar faces on the first day of school.
Gray spread the word about the program at local kindergarten roundup events, and school administrators also recommend it for kids who may struggle more than others with the transition to school, like those with anxiety or who hadn’t attended preschool.
She said many parents report that their kids leave the Kindergarten 101 class feeling less anxious and more confident about attending their first day of school.
“Teachers actually say they can spot a kid who has attended Kindergarten 101 because they’re typically the ones who are more willing to help out other students who may be struggling the first week,” said Gray.
“I would have loved for there to have been a program like this when my kids were little,” she said.
While funding can be a challenge, Gray said the Purdue Extension staff hopes to continue offering the school readiness class for years to come.
At the end of class last Friday, just before lunch, teacher Hannah Estep had her group of students sit on a rug at her feet and called each one up to receive their K101 certificate of completion.
“First shake my hand,” she told each one, as they came forward for their certificate. “Now give me a big bear hug,” she said, giving each student a big squeeze before sending them home to enjoy the final few days of summer.
