Publication Date: Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Back to school for the first time
Back to school for the first time
(August 24, 2005) Kindergarteners enter elementary school with little trepidation
by Alexandria Rocha
Some were shy. Others were mad. Plenty were energetic, and many were talkative.
On Monday, hundreds of kindergarteners at Palo Alto's 12 public elementary schools entered the world of classrooms, books and teachers. At 8 a.m., the campuses were crowded with parents taking photos and videos of their children and giving last-minute words of encouragement.
When the bells rang at 8:15 a.m., however, the kindergartners tucked their lunch boxes and backpacks into their name-labeled cubbies and disappeared into the classrooms. The parents were not allowed in.
One of Addison Elementary School's new faces was Julia Asher, 5, whose mom, Jill Asher, allowed the Palo Alto Weekly to follow them through the first day of school. Weekly photographer Nicholas Wright also spent time with the Ashers while they prepped Julia for school last week, including her first professional haircut and a required doctor's appointment.
Having attended Palo Alto Unified School District's pre-kindergarten program last year, Julia, wearing a pink Adidas jersey shirt, jeans, and pink shoes and socks was all business on Monday.
"She had breakfast, changed and had no issues getting here," said Jill, standing outside of Julia's class in Room 3. "We moved to Palo Alto specifically for the public school system. I just can't believe I have a child going to kindergarten."
While the parents lingered in the courtyard, Room 3 was like a scene from "Sesame Street." Teacher Teri Baldwin sat on a cozy blue love seat in the corner of the room. The children, 19 in all (one was absent), sat "pretzel-style" on a colorful rug facing Baldwin.
"Good morning Liam." "Good morning Elana." "Good morning Julia." Baldwin's voice was calm and soothing. A kindergarten teacher of 11 years (this is her fifth at Addison), she is used to the different personalities that gather in her classroom each year.
Unsolicited, some of the children spoke up about summer trips to Santa Cruz and others told the class about their pets and pre-schools. Baldwin listened patiently and smiled, teaching them how to raise their hand and not interrupt each other.
"There are so many things we're going to learn to do," Baldwin told the students after the day's first art lesson, in which students colored large puzzle pieces. "We just can't learn it all at once."
Like a pro, Julia followed Baldwin's direction without hesitation. She got her "wiggles and jiggles" out during a mid-morning dance session to Chubby Checker's "Let's twist again, like we did last summer." And on the playground, she wheeled her classmates around on a three-wheeled bike.
"I like building with the blocks. They're wood. Oh, and playing with the tiles," said Julia, snacking on crackers during a break.
Although she didn't have an opportunity Monday, she predicts her favorite part of kindergarten will be, "playing inside on the computers." Luckily, her class has three.
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