The new Kick-Off To Kindergarten program, which has attracted more than 90 students from around the Butler County city, is being held at Middletown’s Mayfield Elementary.
The two-week program, which ends Aug. 4, is designed “to reach their newest Middies and introduce the students to a day in the life of a full day kindergarten student at Middletown,” said Middletown Superintendent Marlon Styles Jr.
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The morning program allows the kindergartners to familiarize themselves with the school and classroom experience without all the swirl of noise and crowds of older grade students typical of the first day of the new school year, said school officials.
“This includes going over school procedures, an early introduction to learning new concepts and many fun activities,” said Styles, who officially becomes Middletown’s new superintendent — replacing Sam Ison — on Aug. 1.
Participating parents benefit too, said Styles, through “receiving additional tools to help their students succeed this school year.”
The coming school year will be transformative with a new leader for the city schools and as one of the largest school construction projects in the district’s history moves toward completion of a new a middle school and high school in 2018.
Middletown school parent Lyndsay Helvey stood in front of the Mayfield school earlier this week, waiting for her daughter to emerge from one her first half-days of organized learning.
Helvey described the new summer program as “a good thing to get them used to getting into the classroom setting.”
“This is definitely going to help her. And she is not a morning person and this will get her used to getting up early. This is especially good for kids who never went to daycare or preschool. This will be a good jump start for them,” she said.
Tami Everidge said her grandchild has not had any previous exposure to school.
“She has not had any schooling and she loves it. I appreciate the district doing this and it’s making it great for a lot of kids by giving them a chance to learn and be with other kids,” she said.
Styles said the bigger picture payoff for the school system happens through “bringing all kindergarten students together prior to the first day, that will result in better prepared school aged children.”
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