Kindergarteners-to-be are up to the tusk at zoo-themed rally
Jun 6, 2023
Five-year-old Griffin Assad and his 9-year-old sister Kalley approach the next page of the book with their dad Craig. Photos by: Sean Flannelly
Five-year-old Izzy Rose and her mother Metro read the first page of the book.
Five-year-old Maliyah Emright helps fill her balloon animal with air.
Five-year-old Sterling Winters nears the end of the story with his parents Skylar and David.
Four-year-old Mriona Ayoub is entertained by 5-year-old Ryan Roberge’s antics.
The book is written in both Spanish and English, teaching kids to read in two languages.
On Tuesday, June 6, Wareham Elementary School had to address the elephant in the room — the school is getting a big new batch of kindergarteners this fall.
To welcome the new kids and their families, the school’s Office of Beyond School Time hosted a zoo-themed educational party, referred to as a rally. The rally was part of the school’s Coordinated Family and Community Engagement program, a project of the state Department of Early Education and Care.
The rally’s main event and inspiration was a bilingual story walk, featuring Silvina Rocha’s book “Why Would Elephants Rather Play Tag?” (Hint: They’re not too great at another popular children’s game).
Kindergarten rallies have taken place at the elementary school for “well over 20 years,” according to Jane Fondulis, director of the Office of Beyond School Time.
“[The event] is about making the families comfortable and meeting the staff,” Fondulis said, “making it a home atmosphere for the kids so they’re not so scared in the fall.”
Families walked around the gym to podiums holding enlarged book pages that had text in both Spanish and English. Fondulis said that the main goal of the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement program is to improve literacy, which is why the book took center stage.
Elsewhere in the school, kids and their families enjoyed balloon animals, an arts and crafts area and a food station.
