KINDERGARTEN VETS OFFER TIPS TO NEWCOMERS

SIKESTON -- Don't let anyone fool you, warn area experts, going to kindergarten can be tricky business.

It's not all snacks and playtime, said one group of students. And they know from firsthand experience, they were kindergartners last year.

Seven-year-old Kyle Welter of Sikeston didn't hesitate a second when asked what the best part of kindergarten is: recess, of course.

New Madrid's Nathan Bock cautions reading is probably the most difficult thing about kindergarten. But writing is the best thing, especially when it comes to writing out your name.

Violence, Nathan noted, is something you want to stay clear of. "Don't punch someone in the face," the 6-year-old cautioned. "If you get in trouble you go home and your parents are mad at you."

Kyle cautioned if you find yourself in trouble, you'll be sent to the principal's office, which is never a good thing. "And if you don't do what the teacher tells you, you get suspended."

Meanwhile, Nathan warned kindergartners to be prepared for long days at school because there is "a bunch of stuff" to do. The only way to remedy the problem, he surmised, is to write quicker.

Both boys agreed making friends is fairly easy, except when trying to make friends with someone who's mean, Nathan added.

Kyle shared an observation he made last year that proved very worthwhile. If you raise your hand, he noted, the teacher will call on you.

While this all might seem obvious to adults, they are bits of information kindergartners really do worry about, said Vera Glueck, principal at Sikeston Kindergarten Center. She noted adults often take for granted basic questions children have about kindergarten.

"I think the most important thing they need to know is we are here to help them, we want them to feel free to ask questions and ask for directions," she said. "We are their friends and we want them to have a good day. We will take care of them and they will get home, that's a big question right there."

Glueck said just learning about the building, when things will happen and what they are supposed to do is a big concern for the youngsters. What bus to they ride, will mom and dad pick them up, who is the teacher, when is lunch and where is the playground. They're all legitimate questions, she said sympathetically.

"Lining up, how do you go to the bathroom, do you ask if you can go or do you just go, where is the bathroom? These are very, very basic concerns that adults take for granted."

Chimed in Nathan, "You ask if you can please go to the bathroom but you have to be finished with your work. And if you're sick, you have to try to throw up and if you're too sick you have to go home. You don't want to do that."

It's a new situation and all new faces, said Glueck. "We want the children to feel comfortable coming to us and sharing their concerns with us, we want them to learn to trust us."