Building Confidence Before the First Bell
May 18 was a very special confidence building day for our kindergarten students as they had a chance to tour their “new digs” for the upcoming fall. Excited smiles, tiny backpacks and curious eyes filled the hallways of our three elementary buildings. The principals lead students on tours to meet the teachers and all the people that will be there to help them.
They viewed all the resources and imagined themselves as big kids! Their excitement and nervous energy permeated the spaces! Many were thrilled to get a glimpse at an older sibling engaged in a math lesson or a soccer friend working in a small group on a literacy project. Not surprising, the playgrounds were a showstopper for many! At the conclusion of the visit, it was heart-warming to observe our kindergarten students waving goodbye to their hosts as they boarded the bus for the return to Harvey.
The ride back to their kindergarten classrooms carried more than students – it carried both anticipation and bits of hesitation for new beginnings. After acquiring a glimpse of what awaits them in the fall, many returned eager to take the next step toward becoming elementary students – big kids, if you will.
I had the privilege of joining Shelby Bepler’s kindergarten debrief. Her students joined her on the rug for a class meeting to share their favorite parts of the tour as well as their hesitations and wonderings. They talked about familiar faces such as siblings and soccer buddies. They discussed how they were the oldest at Harvey and now they will be the youngest at their new school. Shelby was masterful at assisting them in turning uncertainty into excitement, helping them process a major milestone, and build confidence through discussion and reflection.
It goes without saying that on May 18, our kindergarten students built confidence they will carry with them before the first bell sounds in August.
