Pete the Cat Joins Canon- McMillan School District Kindergarten Orientation
Starting school can feel both scary and exciting for kindergarteners . Fortunately , their friend Pete the Cat , the protagonist of the popular books by James Dean , was there to help ease the transition during Canon-McMillan School District ’ s kindergarten orientation .
Wylandville , Hills-Hendersonville and Borland Manor elementary schools hosted their orientations on Aug . 12 , while Muse and South Central elementary schools held orientations on Aug . 12 and 13 . All district elementary schools followed a book-themed orientation inspired by “ Pete the Cat Goes Camping .” In the story , Pete feels apprehensive about some aspects of the new experience , such as encountering Bigfoot , but he ultimately enjoys camping and even discovers that Bigfoot is friendly — and loves s ’ mores .
“ We tried to find a book that the kids were interested in , and they love Pete the Cat ,” said Shelley Brose , principal of Hills-Hendersonville Elementary . “ Several years ago , when these books came out , they were a big hit . [ The students ] can relate camping for the first time to coming to school .”
Parents and students arrived at the school buildings , where students visited their classrooms and met their teachers . Meanwhile , administrators , parent groups and school resource officers introduced themselves to the parents . The kids learned about school bus rules and even experienced a ride on the bus . After listening to a Pete the Cat story , families came together to create a Pete the Cat mobile to take home .
“ I love meeting all the kids and families before school starts . It eases their nerves so that when they come in on the first day , they know who to look for , and I know their faces as well ,” said Kelly Vayansky , a kindergarten teacher at Muse Elementary . “ For the parents , they ’ re anxious for their first kid to go to kindergarten , so for them to meet the teacher and know what to expect , it puts them at ease as well .”
The students also took home a packet of activities to work on between orientation and the first day of school . The activities include building reading skills through alphabet matching with upper- and lowercase letters , rhyming exercises and matching letters to sounds and pictures . They also engaged in cutting and gluing activities to improve their fine motor skills . Brose said the students can continue using these activities for at-home learning throughout the school year .
“ We ’ re trying to do anything to get them excited to come to kindergarten ,” Brose said . “ It ’ s about letting them in , seeing the building and getting excited .”
“ Being able to come with their family into a place they ’ ve never been to before helps them know what the first day will look like ,” she continued . “[ They can see ] where things are located and meet some friends because they will be coming with their AM or PM classes . This will help them establish familiar faces , which can ease anxiety , especially since several have never been away from their parents . This orientation will help them feel more comfortable .” anon-Mac CANON-MAC SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
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