Sisters Maddi, left, and Gabbi Pointer snuggle with their new kindergarten teacher, Ashley Carmon, during Kindergarten Orientation at Bataan Memorial Primary. (Photo by Sheri Trust)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

There were lots of smiles and a few tears as Bataan Memorial Primary’s youngest students visited their classrooms for the first time during Kindergarten Orientation last week. Students met with teachers, explored their classrooms, made new friends and got excited about starting school.

Five-year-old Josiah Millhouse said he wasn’t sure what he was going to learn in kindergarten, but he was excited to start school.

“I love going to kindergarten,” he said as he worked a puzzle in Teresa Fillmore’s classroom. “It will be fun getting to go to school.”

Josiah Millhouse works a puzzle in Teresa Fillmore’s classroom. He is excited about starting kindergarten. (Photo by Sheri Trust)

In MacKenzie Short’s classroom, Lincoln Worthington, 6, was having second thoughts about leaving his mom, Kelsey Worthington, to attend kindergarten. He shed a few tears as he sat at his desk, but his mom encouraged him with stories of her own fun kindergarten experiences.

“He was really excited until today,” Kelsey said.

Short said the biggest adjustment for kindergarteners is being away from home for a full day.

“A lot of them get tired by the afternoon,” she said. “They’ll learn to read and to count and be able to read at least a sentence by the end of the year.”

The students will quickly get into a routine and have a year filled with fun and learning, promised Short.