Last week when I was walking to church one day I saw a rainbow walking in front of me! It was a kindergarten/preschool class/es walking somewhere. They were super cute! I thought I should protect their privacy and just took a picture from the back when I was quite far away so that I wouldn't scare the teachers. I did catch up with them before I had to turn, of course, since my legs are a bit longer than theirs! The teacher being the caboose told the kids to say good morning to me-which they did in English. They seemed very excited to be going somewhere. The kids were walking in pairs, just like we always did when I was a kid. Each class/section had a different colored hat, the cause of the rainbow effect. When I was teaching elementary school each class tie-dyed t-shirts, my class's color was purple, when we went on field trips. It sure made it easy to find the kids from your own class quickly!
Anyway, as I was watching them walk down the street I was thinking of that poster, everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten. Besides the stringent academics of kindergarten, we did learn some important lessons. Things like: take a nap every day; always hold hands with your buddy; tell the teacher your tummy hurts right away; take time to read every day; etc.
I loved kindergarten and have a few good memories. Those of you who were there with me will have to let me know if I remember correctly! I think probably my most vivid memory, which is not necessarily a good memory, is when Steve Barker threw up in the classroom. The good thing was that we got an extra recess! I remember laying on our little carpets for nap time. I remember that I got to go to school with my friend, Signe, who then had to go to the rest of elementary school at Garfield. Was that the year we went to the zoo? I remember being scared to death of the 'big' kids, anyone over third grade.
Speaking of third grade, I had a wonderful teacher, Mrs. Thayer. She is retiring this year. Thank you for your commitment to educating children. What a blessing you have been to so many!
What do you remember about kindergarten?
3 comments:
I loved Kindergarten. We lived in Alaska. We used to leave our shoes outside the door and wore slippers (mine were real moccasins made by real Native Americans) inside the classroom. We had these Rubbermaid bins to keep our things in. Everyday we were to go home with our spiral notebook and tell our parents what we did each day. My mom would then write down the events in the journal and then a class mom would come read the journals to the class each day until we were old enough to read it ourselves. The most important lesson I learned, however, was empathy. I was holding a guinea pig too tightly and my teacher stood over me and ask me how I would feel if a giant was squeezing me too tightly. Funny the things you remember.
Kindergarten teachers are the most beautiful and most wonderful people in the world.
When we stood in a line outside, if you look directly at the sun, you will sneeze.
If you shake the jar of cream, it will turn into butter.
If you smoke your lungs will turn black like the one in this jar and not stay pink like the one in that jar. Pink is a much nicer color than black.
Things belong in jars if you are to study them.
You should check to make sure school has actually ended before you walk home so you don't accidentally go home at recess.
It is true that your mom and baby sister do nothing all day but lie on the couch and watch TV while you work hard in school all day. When you walk in on them early, they look very surprised and upset that you discovered their secret.
Throwing up at school can lead to wonderful things like going to a "grandma's" house and getting to watch TV and drink Sprite.
Don't always assume that when the teacher sends you to get the paddle that you've done something wrong. It may be that she needs the paddle for someone else. The trauma and tears will still last through the day.
The alphabet is a lovely collection of letters, and after careful and thorough research, I discovered that ALL the letters in my name are in the alphabet. Ah, the pride in having such a special name whose letters all belong to that esteemed group called "The Alphabet". It even has its own song! Sadly, grownups are not as impressed with such scientific discoveries as children are, and are prone to giggle at such news.
What a cute picture and fun memories from that first special year of school.
All I can think of right now is how I drew a picture and colored the sun orange and was teased for it. Random.
My teacher was Mrs. Penny and she was "old" when she was my teacher (her hair was already white). She would frequently remind us to "take a sweater, no matter what the weather." I became pen pals with her when I was in college and we still write today. She is in her 80's and has the neatest handwriting I have ever seen. She still writes in her diary every night.
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