Daybreak Primary Assistant Principal Solina Journey helps a student.
Incoming Daybreak Primary kindergartners tour the library with the school librarian.
That nerve-wracking first-day school can be tough for a 5-year-old, so staff at Daybreak Primary decided to give them a “Jump Start” this year.
Through the free and optional program, incoming kindergartners are given the chance to test the waters as the school is in full swing.
According to the district, incoming kindergartners learn some of the specific school readiness goals, including “the importance of raising your hand in class and walking in a single-file line through hallways, how to treat school supplies, and how to sit on the carpet and be an active listener.”
The district said the program will also allow teachers to meet their students and begin understanding their various learning needs sooner. It gives parents a chance to meet their children’s teachers and school administrators as well.
“The goal of Jump Start is to help students get acclimated to the school learning environment,” said Daybreak Primary School Principal Matt Kauffman. “Providing kids with an early introduction to their teachers, classrooms and classmates helps ease the transition for everyone so the focus can be on learning once the school year officially begins.”
Kauffman and Daybreak Primary School Assistant Principal Solina Journey both have prior experience with the Jump Start program and were key in launching one at Daybreak Primary. According to the district, they hope to expand the program across the district in coming years.
“The Jump Start kindergarten program helps students build confidence and be more comfortable in their school surroundings,” said Laurie Sundby, Battle Ground Public Schools’ director of instructional leadership for early childhood and primary education. “We’re excited to have Jump Start at Daybreak this year to introduce children to the joy of learning in an enriching environment.”
Expanding the program throughout the district might not be too difficult if the first year at Daybreak is any indication. The district reports that more than 70 percent of incoming kindergarten students attended.
