Valley kids entering kindergarten are invited to participate next month in the third annual “KinderKamp’.”
It’s a program designed to give kids a taste of kindergarten before the school year officially starts. It’s an especially worthwhile program for kids who didn’t attend preschool and aren’t familiar with how a school day is structured.
It will be at TEAM Inc. at 30 Elizabeth St. in Derby and it is hosted by TEAM’s Family Resource Center.
It is scheduled for Aug. 10 through Aug. 14. The time is to be determined, but in past years the program was from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. or from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
‘KinderKamp’ is free and open to all Valley youngsters entering kindergarten in the fall.
Ayanna Williams is the coordinator of the Family Resource Center.
“The week-long program is designed to prepare children for the structure of a kindergarten day,” Williams said in an email. “Children partake in read-alouds, math, science, music and movement and academic centers.”
Jenny Ames, a teacher at the Bradley School, will the ‘KinderKamp’ instructor, and she’ll be assisted by Derby’s Evelyn North.
“It helps kids get a head start on rules like hand raising, making a line, and waiting on line,” Ames said.
As many as 25 kids have participated in past years. There’s no limit at the moment on how many incoming kindergarten students can sign up.
“If we need to, we can add another session,” Ames said.
The kids will also go on a few local field trips, such as to the fire department and the library. Local principals will stop by as well to get acquainted with the new students.
The kids will also learn from “The Shapels,” an invention by North. “The Shapels,” Cindy Circle, Tommy Triangle, and so forth, teach kids about shapes, obviously,
But lessons from “The Shapels” also exposes the kids to the classroom setting. That’s especially important for youngsters who are going straight to kindergarten, with no time in preschool.
“Part of the program is learning how to listen, sitting quietly, raising your hand and waiting to be called on,” Ames said.
And, hopefully, it will give the incoming kindergarten students a chance to experience being in a new place.
“It gets them used to being dropped off at a place they might not necessarily know,” Ames said. “That can cause drama on the first day of school.”
For more information or to register, email Ames at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) — or call the Family Resource Center at 203 – 736-5420, ext. 208.
Click here for the Family Resource Center’s website.
Correction: The original version of this article used the wrong title for ‘KinderKamp’.
