Kindergarten students trickled into Rocketship United Academy today in Nashville and were greeted by educators and staff with music and a friendly face.¶
It was the second and final day of the school’s Kinder Camp, which is imperative for them to attend because the next day is their first day of kindergarten.¶
“They’re coming into a brand-new experience,” Rocketship United Academy Principal Ben Smith said. “We want our kids to be excited, so when everybody comes, they don't get shy, or they won’t be afraid. They feel confident that they can start the day (and) start the year right.”¶
Kinder Camp
At Kinder Camp, incoming kindergarteners spend half a day at the school on Aug. 4-5 learning about its mission, meeting their teachers, and even dancing. School staff greet the students and their families at their cars as they arrive, help them get out, and escort them where they need to go. Staff also guide them to their parents when they leave, and parents receive constant communication throughout the day, including photos of their children participating in activities.¶
Kindergarten families also receive a Kinder Box the week before school begins. These contain supplies and materials aimed to help students prepare for their first day of school and make the transition to elementary school easier, such as water bottles, shirts, and more.¶
“That's just getting them ready and excited for the day,” Smith said. “We like to give that as a gift to our families. We know that every time they send their child to our school, it's a gift for us, and so we want to just give a small token of our appreciation. We love to have them here.”¶
Smith said Kinder Camp helps the faculty prepare for the new school year as well.¶
“They have an opportunity to really learn (students’) names (and) teach them some of those systems,” Smith said. “Every day we talk about how some of the things that we do can apply and get ready for us to start with all of our kids (coming) up.”¶
The First Day of School
It is crucial for Rocketship and other elementary schools to make kindergarteners and their families feel welcome and supported as soon as they set foot on campus, and Smith said part of that includes making the atmosphere feel light and fun. The school is decorated with banners, posters, and other decorations to help students feel less nervous.¶
Kinder Camp is a large part of that effort. At the end of the day, the children even get to play in an inflatable fun house.¶
“We make it lively,” Smith said. “We want the people who come into our building, our families, and our students just to feel the excitement through our decor, and so you'll see a lot of that happening too.”¶
Smith said his favorite part about returning to school is the energy and excitement from students and staff.¶
“There is just so much energy from the kids, so much excitement from staff, and there is always a readiness that I can't really quantify,” Smith said. “I’m just excited for kids being in the building (and) the hugs from their teachers; they always go back and look at teachers they had last year and give them hugs, and then they hug new teachers, (and) see their friends who they haven't seen all summer.”¶
