We talk a lot about emotions and building a vocabulary of feeling words at school. Every year in June, we spend some time looking back over our whole year in Kindergarten and noticing how our feelings might have changed from the first days that we started together back in September. Many students reported that they remembered feeling nervous, scared, and a little bit excited when they started school. Now that they are Kindergarten experts, excited has stuck, but feelings of nervousness faded long ago. As they get ready to move on to Grade One, I asked if they have some words of advice for our new Kindergarten students, so that they will feel excited about coming to Brentwood Park in September. Here is what Division 21 said:

 

“There’s a lot of new friends at school. You will make new friends!”

  • Aria

 

“You don’t need to feel scared, because you can PLAY! And you will have friends.”

  • Summer

 

“I would like to tell them that Kindergarten is awesome, because you get to play and learn lots of new things.”

  • Eva

 

“Everything will be okay. When it started, I didn’t know what it feels like. It was a little different, because it was a new language. It was okay because there’s more kids to help me. I can play and have fun with my friends!”

  • Alex

 

“I want to tell the new Kindergarten kids, you will be excited when you come to school, because you will be playing with new friends.”

  • Mia

 

“I want to tell the new Kindergarten kids that it’s good to make new friends and to face your fears. Because then you will learn so much! “

  • Aviana

“You will like Kindergarten, because there are fun things to build with, like the big magna-tiles, that you haven’t tried before.”

  • Anaya

 

“You don’t need to worry. You will meet new friends. I know all of the kids names right now, so I am not worried anymore.”

  • Leonard

 

“They will like Kindergarten, because they will be safe. I know they will like Kindergarten, because our school is good.”

  • Sebastian

 

“Don’t be scared. Because Kindergarten is good. You will play!”

  • Morton

 

“You will like Kindergarten, because you will like to play with everything! And you will play with your best friend.”

  • Khaly

 

“When you come to Kindergarten, we will be playing with each other. We’ll be kind. You’ll meet new friends.”

  • Chloe

 

“There’s cars, tubes, tracks, big blocks, signs, Sharpies, building books … so many things! You can build anything you want at Kindergarten! I used to not know how to build skyscrapers, but now I know how to build tall towers.”

  • Mateo

 

“Oh, I can’t even decide what is the best part about Kindergarten, because I like all of the parts so much! I want the new Kindergarten kids to know that you will get to do art, like painting. I LOVE painting.”

  • Henry

“You get to PLAY!”

  • Mariano

 

“I want them to know that you get to play. You can learn new things. Even cartwheels!”

  • Amelia

 

“You don’t need to be nervous when you come to Kindergarten. You’ll get to make lots of stuff and play!”

  • Zoey

 

Students are always surprised to learn that their teachers also feel excited, as well as a little nervous, worried and even a bit scared at the beginning of every school year. What will this new bunch of kids be like? What adventures will we have together? What will our challenges be? Now that our year has come to a close, I am feeling sad to say goodbye, but excited to see what this amazing, creative, kind, curious bunch will do next!

Have a wonderful summer Grade Ones!

Love,

Mrs. Fleming