It’s fun but serious

By Marcia Moore
The Daily Item

August 27, 2007 07:31 am

— SELINSGROVE — Jackson Penn Elementary school teachers are prepared for the tears that will likely flow as 186 5-year-olds start their first day of kindergarten Tuesday.
But they expect parents will quickly recover once they see their child is able to adjust to a full day of school activities.
“The parents will probably have a harder time than the kids,” said veteran teacher Carolyn Kratzer, one of 10 teachers who will be instructing Selinsgrove Area School District’s first class of all-day kindergartners.
A week before the start of school, Tammy Bartlebaugh found herself tearing up at the mere thought of putting her only child, Lichelle Gill, 5, on the bus Tuesday morning.
“I was fine until we got here,” she said, referring to orientation held Aug. 21 at Jackson Penn.
“I like the idea of all day classes and that she’ll learn more in a building that just has kindergartners and no older kids, but she’s my only child,” Ms. Bartlebaugh said.
Tracy Beachel has no reservations about sending son, Lakota, her sixth and last child, off on his first day of school.
“I was teary sending my first two,” Mrs. Beachel said, beaming as her son checked out his classroom and met his teacher.
Elementary school nurse Melissa Bechtel said she’ll anticipates some students will suffer homesickness or fatigue for the first few days.
“But they’re going to be having so much fun,” she said.
While parents and children alike wrestle with emotions on the eve of the first day of school, several teachers said they are excited about having a class of students for an entire day.
Teaching the curriculum to students who attended only a half-day of school in prior years made some feel “rushed,” Mrs. Kratzer said.
“The challenge was doing it all in a half-day. Math and writing suffered,” teacher Pam Musser said. “Now we get to enhance and broaden the curriculum.”
Students will have more opportunity to delve into music, art, library instruction and physical education, and afternoons will be more laid back with one-on-one instruction and more hands-on activities, teacher Shelby Knipe said.
Jackson Penn Elementary Principal Lorinda Krause said additions to the curriculum will include social skills being taught by the guidance counselor and hygiene and nutrition by the school nurse.
The focus will be on the three “Rs,” said Mrs. Krause, and the end result will be higher test scores, Mrs. Krause said.
“We expect to see improvements across our curriculum,” she said.
Superintendent Frederick Johnson is also anticipating large gains from all-day kindergarten.
“It’s the most exciting thing to hit this district. The most significant academic achievement,” he said.
First-year teacher Ryan McGuire is looking forward to being a part of the district’s new program and “the most important start” of a child’s education.
“I have friends who complain about work, but (the kids) just make me smile,” he said.
n E-mail comments to mmoore@dailyitem.com

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