Rising Kinders ready for school

LENOIR, NC (August 14, 2018) — For nearly 300 rising kindergarten children who attended Rising Stars, they are now ready and eager for school to officially start on August 27.

These children, who are eligible to enroll in the 2018-2019 school year, participated in Rising Stars, a program specifically designed by the Caldwell County Schools to prepare young children for a successful start in kindergarten. Rising Stars classes operated July 23 to Aug. 15, 8:00 am to 11:00 am on Mondays through Thursdays in most elementary schools offering kindergarten classes.

“The transition from pre-school or the home to full-day classes in the elementary school can be exciting, but sometimes stressful for students and their parents,” said Superintendent Dr. Donald Phipps. “The Rising Stars program, specifically designed for rising kindergarten students, helps children to become more familiar with the formal school environment and introduces them to the kindergarten curriculum. Basically, it’s a positive boost before school starts.”

The following are the goals for the Rising Stars program:

* Help children transition to kindergarten

* Let children learn to play together

* Teach children about classroom rules

* Help children learn all about school

* Encourage parents to become involved in their child’s school activities

* Introduce children to the alphabet in a fun way

* Explore math with hands-on activities

“The four-week summer literacy program has been extremely successful in helping children transition to kindergarten,” said Vickie Sproul, Pre-K Director. “The vision for Caldwell County Schools Rising Stars program is to provide a positive experience for children entering public school, which will create a lifelong love for learning and build character.”

Most kindergarten classes follow a staggered scheduled the first week of school to provide an adjustment period for students and families. For more details, contact your child’s elementary school administrative office.