Kindergartners 'building the foundation' on first day in Naperville

The first day of kindergarten is one of those days when the old saying "This is the first day of the rest of your life" seems most appropriate.

That day came Friday for dozens of kindergartners at Steeple Run Elementary in Naperville Unit District 203, and their counterparts at the district's 13 other elementary schools.

In four classes, including one dual-language group that will learn in both English and Spanish, kiddos found their rooms, met their teachers, donned their nametags and got an introduction to the routines of school life.

"The most important part of kindergarten," principal Josh Louis said, "is building the foundation so you can get the learning in afterward."

In Maddie Spriggs' class, students learned special duties, such as being a "helper," will come with being in kindergarten. Luca Rossi was named the first helper of the year, and he nominated Maeve Cronin to assist as he completed the first helper duty: taking the class's lunch orders to the main office.

In Sonja Jardine's dual-language class, lunch decisions - cheese pizza or a chicken patty sandwich - were made with the aid of English and Spanish words and pictures. Jardine then sat her students on a colorful rug and explained she was about to read a story, "Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten" by Joseph Slate.

In Morgan Wilson's class, kids saw their first morning message of the year, a welcome addressed "Dear Boys and Girls," on the projector screen in the front of the room. They also learned the schedule for the day, including the important elements of recess, snacktime, circle time, more recess, lunch and choice time. Wilson is one of the school's newer staffers, but she has her principal's confidence.

"If you ever meet a kindergarten teacher that you know should be a kindergarten teacher, she's it," Louis said.

Nearby, Shana Smith's class is also reading "Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten," but it comes after a coloring exercise for "My First Day of Kindergarten," featuring a cute raccoonlike character and several hearts. Most kids had their coloring sheets half completed when Smith called them to attention with the class phrase.

"Hocus Pocus," she started.

"Everyone focus," the students replied, already having learned their lines.

"It's amazing how well they transition," into their first days of school, Louis said. "It's an exciting time for the community."