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Going to school for the first time can be scary for both the child and the parents. In an effort to ease that transition the Kearney R-1 School District started a kindergarten camp, which allows students who qualify for kindergarten enrollment to come during the summer in a more laid back environment.

“We’re using the program as a way to get our son used to school,” parent Amy Milburn said. “We wanted him to get to know the other kids he’d be going to school with and get used to the school setting.”

Milburn said that she also liked that while the summer school program was educational the small class sizes and personal attention made it easier for everyone involved.

“I think we had a harder time with him going to school than he did,” Milburn said. “It’s just made the whole process so much easier for us all.”

Southview Elementary School kindergarten teacher Jill Gerber said that she felt kindergarten camp was good for incoming students because they were able to learn how to get along with others and become familiar with a scheduled environment.

“A lot of these kids don’t come from a structured environment like preschool,” Gerber said. “We were already having summer school so it wasn’t difficult to add them and it makes a big difference.”

Gerber said simple things such as how to hold a lunch tray, staying in line or being quite during their lessons were skills that many incoming kindergarteners didn’t know but made a difference when it came down to their education.

“If these behaviors have already been started it makes the transition easier for both them and me,” Gerber said. “It just helps them be more prepared.”

While the summer program is educational Gerber said they placed a lot of importance on just having fun.

“We try to still give them the summer experience,” Gerber said. “We want it to be fun because that’s what makes them excited to come.”

On that given day the students were learning about their five senses. To teach them about taste Gerber read them a book and discussed the tastes of different foods. Of course she couldn’t talk about tastes and not demonstrate, so she brought ice cream for the class.

“It’s just something else to make it fun,” Gerber said. “And on a hot day it’s just nice to have ice cream.”

Gerber encouraged parents to get involved even if their soon-to-be-kindergartener wasn’t at camp.

“For the last few years there’s been a big push to make this transition easier,” Gerber said. “Programs like this as well as kindergarten roundup and the kindergarten guides are all important ways that parents can help prepare their kids for kindergarten.”

Staff writer Carrie Alexander can be reached at 628-6010 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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