CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT: Ashton and Southside elementaries

We corralled a group of students beginning their education at Ashton Elementary and Southside Elementary and asked them to divulge their feelings about the first day of kindergarten.

Lauren Van Ostrand
What do you like about your teacher?
She helps take care of cuts and bleeding.

What’s your favorite thing about kindergarten?
Doing science. But I haven’t done science yet. I don’t like P.E. because we have to watch TV.

What was your first thought when you walked into school today?
Wow!

Molly Jane Ryan
What was your first thought when you walked into school today?
I was kind of shy because I didn’t know the other kids. Sometimes, I’m almost funny all day.

What’s your favorite book?
Barbie books.

What’s the difference between pre-school and kindergarten?
The playground. We had such a big playground in preschool with three swing sets and a bigger slide.

Abby Telinger
What do you love about kindergarten?
Lunch. I had peanut butter and jelly — I was so hungry!

Do you miss pre-school?
No, I don’t miss it because it took so long and went by slower than kindergarten. I’m ready for first grade.

If you could do anything today, what would you do?
I would go on a field trip to see the aquarium.

Brian Kruk
Did you get a new lunch box for kindergarten?
I have a blue Buzz Lightyear lunch box with my name on it.

Were you nervous about your first day?
My first thought was that I felt happy. When I walked into school, there was an astronaut on the floor. It was right by the door with cones around it.

Do you want to come back tomorrow?
I was thinking about it.

A.J. Frye
Have you done anything fun today?
I danced. I like to tiptoe and march.

Is your teacher nice?
I like her because she’s fun. I would ask her to help me if I tripped and fell and put a Band-Aid on my knee.

Do you like your new school?
The school is awesome!

J.R. Rosenberg
What’s kindergarten like?
Better than pre-school. It’s cool and it’s awesome. It’s smaller than I thought.

Is there something you’d like to do today?
I really wanted to go on the playground, but it was raining.

Do you have a best friend?
Angelo is my best friend. Rex is also my friend.

Ashley Reynolds
What did you learn today?
To never talk bad words.

Is kindergarten fun?
Yes. We played hopscotch and other games outside.

Were you nervous today?
I was a little scared because it was the first day and I had never been here before. I like my teacher — she reads stories to us.

Marybeth Damico
How is your first day?
I’m happy. I’ve been coloring and really excited because I want to have fun.

What’s the one thing you want to do today?
I want to march.

Is this your first time wearing a school uniform?
Yes, and I like my uniform because it’s a dress — the skirt is attached to a shirt.

Ella Wicks
What were you thinking about on the way to school?
I was really excited and thought I was going to meet a lot of new kids.

What’s your teacher like?
She is fun and lets us play games and make pictures.

Can you describe kindergarten in one word?
Awesome.

Contact Loren Mayo at [email protected].