A group of 4-year-olds is enjoying the new two-year kindergarten program.
LIVERMORE – Cindy Crabtree knelt near the coat hooks Tuesday to help Ben Rackliff remove his coat. One by one the students came into the room and received the same attention.
Once outerwear, backpacks and lunch boxes were put away, the students scurried to the book corner.
Students in the two-year kindergarten program for 4-year-olds that began Jan. 5 had already been greeted by teacher Juanita Bouchard after they got off the bus and entered the Livermore Elementary School.
A tray of muffins, milk cartons and juice bags sat on a table untouched.
Ashley Souther opened a book and started reading about Mrs. Wishy-Washy. The story the little girl told sounded good and matched the pictures but not the words in the book.
She read her version of the story.
“Wishy-Washy washed the ceilings. She washed the floor. She washed the toys and then she hung them up by their hair. Then they smiled. The end,” Souther said.
Other children had gathered in front of Crabtree for share time.
Children spoke about visiting friends, playing with toys, drawing and playing Nintendo games.
Their hands were popping up and voices were chattering until their teacher reminded them “We’re talking one at a time.”
Crabtree took out two small white fluffy objects that resembled “snowballs.”
She handed them to a child and said, “Good morning, Dalton.” That started a chain as the “snowballs” passed from student to student with a greeting, along with several greetings for their teachers.
Next, they sang the ABC song and reviewed the alphabet.
A voice came over the intercom to announce the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
They stood at attention, hands over their hearts – it didn’t matter which hand to some, as they tried their best to recite the pledge.
They gathered in front of their teacher again. It was time to knock on a little house on the floor.
“Happy Tuesday, Sunny,” they said at once.
Crabtree reached in and pulled out a puppet with black hair, orange and brown sweater and red sneakers. He would help them remember the first letters of their name.
Soon they said “goodbye to Sunny.”
It was muffin time.
After breakfast, the 14 students sat quietly on the rug again, listening to Crabtree read “Little Red Riding Hood.”
After the story ended, they role played with children remembering what Red Riding Hood took to her grandmother’s.
Before 10 a.m., the children were writing the first letter of their names, drawing and putting puzzles together.
There was still lots to do in the morning session, including straightening out the good morning board where their names had been placed on the wrong pictures.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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