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Seventeen 4- and 5-year-olds enthusiastically decorated coffee filters with colored markers in Haley Tollefson’s classroom Friday as they became “kindergartners for a day.”
In a twist to the school’s traditional Kindergarten Round-Up, the incoming 2021-22 kindergartners experienced a day in the kindergarten classroom as a first-time, daylong event organized by teachers.
Preschool teacher Macy Ellingson said her students were used to waiting their turn, completing activities and forming lines, but lunch and recess were new.
Tollefson led future kindergartners in the coffee filter coloring with art instructor Tyler Johnson.
They made starch “pots” from the filters sprayed with starch and took them home as a reminder of the day in the classroom.
“It is kind of nice to get to know students before the school year,” Tollefson said. “It will ease the transition into kindergarten.”
Previously H-BC’s Kindergarten Round-Up consisted of an evening parental meeting and students participating in about 90 minutes of story time activity and a snack.
Many kids were disappointed that the time “going to school” was short.
The current kindergarten students had Friday off, as the incoming students took their place in the classroom to experience the all-day Monday through Friday program for one day.
Last year the coronavirus pandemic canceled the round-up.
The incoming kindergartners will officially begin classes Sept. 8.