Kindergarten jitters

Posted 9/6/18

Something new can be daunting, especially for a 5-year-old, if it involves a lot of new faces and an entirely new environment. That was evident Tuesday as kindergartners, many accompanied by their parents, arrived outside Sherman School. Unlike the rest

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Kindergarten jitters

FIRST DAY IS NEVER EASY: Kindergartener Hannah Smith clings to the security of her parents, Michael and Samantha – that’s brother Jacob on his dad’s shoulders – as she waits for the doors at Sherman School to open.

BRAVE FACE: Kindergartener Karena Stephenson waits for class assignment as she waits in the Sherman School hallway

IT’S ALL BETTER NOW: In this sequence, Sherman School teacher aid Amy Harnedy consoles a tearful Emma Kaplan and, after a comforting hug, leads her to her classroom.

Posted Thursday, September 6, 2018 2:28 pm

Something new can be daunting, especially for a 5-year-old, if it involves a lot of new faces and an entirely new environment.

That was evident Tuesday as kindergartners, many accompanied by their parents, arrived outside Sherman School. Unlike the rest of Sherman students who gathered in the schoolyard, kindergarteners congregated at the front door to be ushered into a hallway where they found seats.

Some were ready to take on school, citing off the names of friends who were with them. Others were less bold and a few were scared. That’s the way it goes on the first day of kindergarten.

Teachers and teacher aides were ready for the tears, although that wasn’t restricted to the kids. A few parents had difficulty keeping a dry eye when their children pleaded for them not to leave. For the most part the anxiety of separation passed quickly. Parents filtered out. Children were meeting one another for a first time and, suddenly, there was someone new in command who had things under control – the teacher. (Text and photos by John Howell)