For many kids the start of a new school year and the first day of school simply means a new teacher and classroom, but kindergartners face many new challenges and experiences, from long days at school without mom and dad to becoming first-time bus riders and meeting new friends.
To ease the transition, we decided to ask some local rising first-graders at Mount Tamalpais School and Terra Marin School in Mill Valley, fresh off surviving their first year in the “big leagues,” to share their advice to the incoming class. Here are some of their creative and heart-warming messages offering back-to-school advice.
Mount Tamalpais School, Mill Valley
Parker
“If you’re feeling a little nervous, I would say just go for it!”
Amelia
“Have fun at free choice. You get to pick what you want to do!”
Avery
“Remember to be kind.”
Gideon
“Don’t quit. Talk positive to yourself.”
Jonathan
“Never give up. Like in reading, when it feels really hard you just keep trying. You can look for words you do know and that helps you figure out new words. You should be nice to each other. Have fun playing with friends. It’s really fun here at MTS, you should feel really excited. The teachers are nice. The kids are nice.”
Terra Marin School, Mill Valley
Nathan Yung
“Kindergarten is not just work; it’s a lot of fun!”
Ryder Edrington
“I thought it was going to be boring, but it was actually a lot of fun! And if you are worried about math, a friend will help you.”
Catherine Pugh
“It’s going to be OK, you do a lot of fun stuff in kindergarten! In kindergarten you write poems and learn languages.”
Hollis Brasch
“The teacher does math games and once you know how to do them they are a lot of fun! And you will make friends really, really quickly.”
Rivan Pai
“If you concentrate on your work and get it done, you can get to recess earlier.”
Cameron Czapiga
“Don’t worry, you will still get to play in kindergarten. You get to play just as much as you work.”
* Students answers, names and photos are published with school and parental consent. Last names not used where requested.
For more on Marin:
- Best of the County and Beyond 2021: Education
- Who Was Archie Williams? The Story Behind the Renaming of a San Anselmo High School
- From Mountaintops to Laptops — At Marin Primary & Middle School, Social Emotional Learning is Always the Foundation
Jessica Dlugosz is a digital marketing assistant at Make it Better Media Group. She lives in the Chicago Suburbs and is a first generation college graduate, fluent polish speaker. She enjoys volunteering at Feed my Starving Children, an organization that packages meals for those in underdeveloped arcountries.
