Speech!

Below is the speech I am presenting tonight at the informational meeting for incoming kindergarten students.

When Mrs. Levesque asked me at a recent PTA meeting to speak here tonight, I was more than happy to oblige. I had not originally planned on writing anything down but I was afraid if I did not, I wouldn't be able to adequately convey how happy I have been with my daughter Katherine's kindergarten experience.

Like a lot of parents with a child entering kindergarten, I had many concerns. Is she ready emotionally? Is she ready academically? How will she handle a full day? And what's with this bus transfer? Mrs. Levesque answered many a phone calls from me early on. Little did I know at the time that I was sending my daughter to what I consider to be one of the best kindergarten programs and school systems in the state.

Words can not begin to describe what a positive and enriching experience kindergarten has been for Katherine. From the new friends she has made to the books that she now reads to me from her teacher to the administration, Katherine's growth as a person has been an amazing thing to watch. She has gone from a shy little girl that wanted nothing more than to spend her days at home with Mom to a little girl that ask me on the weekends, ”Do I have school today?”and looks sad when I tell her no.

She comes home with a new skill to share and a new story to tell everyday. One of my favorites was the time she came running down the driveway saying, in utter shock and amazement, ”Mom, everyone in my class lives in Middleboro!”

Having an older child who was not in a full day kindergarten setting (we moved to Middleboro when she started 1st grade) I have the benefit of seeing the difference between the traditional half day and the full day program. The full day was one of my main concerns in sending Katherine to school. After all, this was the girl who still took naps almost daily up until the day before her first day of kindergarten! Looking back, the benefits of a full day program clearly out weigh the short adjustment period Katherine went through in the beginning of the year. Katherine is much more prepared for first grade after a full day than my older daughter was after only having a half day. Katherine's reading and math skills, as well as her social skills, are far more advanced than a half day program can provide. A full day of kindergarten, though it may take adjusting to in the beginning, makes the transition in to first grade that much easier.

I remember thinking, when I attended this meeting a year ago, that I wasn't ready for this, regardless of whether or not Katherine was! One of the things I decided to do to help ease my own nerves? I got involved. I joined the PTA and, while I am unable to volunteer in the classroom because I am a stay at home mother to my youngest daughter, I do volunteer to do things at home such as coloring in mini books and making educational games for the classroom. I feel like by doing these things, I have a sort of inside track as to what goes on in my kids' classrooms and at the schools in general.

We are fortunate in Middleboro to have an amazing staff and administration that in my experience with both Katherine and my older daughter Emily, are dedicated, professional and willing to do whatever it takes to make these school years both a positve and educational experience for our children. Going the extra mile is a daily thing for them. I can't imagine sending my children anywhere else!

It's good, no?