Less than a week before students return, the district’s educators go into full-on preparation mode. On Thursday, Sept. 1, they assembled in the high school auditorium for a conference led by Superintendent Seth Turner. Before the weekend, they’ll return to their buildings where they’ll focus their energy on the school itself, hearing from their building principal what their expectations might be and fine tuning their classrooms for the coming student stampede.
All that is happening right under the noses of Saugerties students. Students like Madeline Kott, this reporter’s daughter. She’ll begin the fourth grade at Cahill Elementary in Mrs. Kleinke’s class. Like many students in Saugerties and across the country, she’s not entirely ready to leave summer behind.
“It’s weird,” said Madeline. “You’ve just had an awesome summer break, and you’re about to go back to being in a classroom.”
She admitted to being “totally unprepared” for school, though added that she was looking forward to seeing her friends again, was intrigued by Cahill’s fourth grade drama club and was especially eager to get a chance to try out the school’s new playground during what she confessed was her favorite subject: “Recess.”
Teachers in Saugerties know they’re fighting an ennui brought on by the end of summer vacation, and they also know that it will sometimes take a bit of time before students are back in full swing.
“In fourth grade it’s probably about four weeks before we’re going full steam ahead,” said Mulford. “It takes some time to learn the schedule and the routine.”
Gambino said that part of helping students adjust to life back in school – or in the case of many of her kindergartners, life in school for the very first time – is showing them that there is fun on the horizon as well as in the rear view mirror.
“In kindergarten some students are very ready for school and adjust quickly,” she said. “Others can take months. There are so many wonderful things to look forward to in the fall that it’s okay to let go of summer: Apple picking, 1K/5K, pumpkin fun night, open house (and) Halloween.”
School in Saugerties might be easier for kids to readjust to for another reason as well.
“We have neighborhood schools,” said Mulford. “It gives the kids a sense of community and familiarity. It makes it less anxiety-filled.”
Students across the region return to school next week, and while they may not realize it, their teachers have been preparing all summer long, and sometimes even earlier.
“I think about next year after every lesson or activity,” said Alexandra Gambino, a kindergarten teacher at Cahill Elementary. “I reflect on how a lesson went and take notes on what to do for next year, how could it be better, differentiated, or note that this was effective keep it the same.”
Building maintenance and cleaning means some teachers only recently returned to their classrooms to begin organizing for the coming school year, one where they start off by trying to clear the cobwebs of students who are rarely ready for the end of summer vacation.
“In fourth grade it’s probably about four weeks before we’re going full steam ahead,” said Rebecca Mulford, a 4th grade teacher at Morse Elementary. “It takes some time to learn the schedule and the routine.”
Students return to class in Saugerties on Tuesday, September 6.
