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Kindergarten Camp Prepares Students

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By MEGAN HUSSEY

Tribune correspondent

Published: July 23, 2008

For the first time this year, kids entering kindergarten at Centennial Elementary School will be offered a crash course in becoming students and, organizers hope, have a lot of fun in the process.

Centered on a jungle theme, the free Kindergarten Camp will introduce incoming kindergartners to basic academic subjects with the use of their favorite jungle animals. The camp will run from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through July 31 at the school.

"They'll create, sort and classify animal patterns, classify animals and draw pictographs of their favorite jungle animals," said Heather Wallen, the school's assistant principal. "They'll listen to stories with jungle and back-to-school themes and draw the settings of the stories. They'll learn how to tell the front and back of a book and name the author."

Outside the classroom, children will tour the Centennial Elementary cafeteria, computer lab and media center.

"In the computer lab, they'll play educational games ideal for kids," Wallen said. "In the media center, we'll read them stories, and they'll become familiar with the library."

Participants also will receive free T-shirts and DVDs that record the camp experience.

This no-cost camp was made possible by a $4,000 grant through Principals' Grants for Excellence from the Pasco Education Foundation; that grant was made possible by a $10,000 grant from Verizon, with matching funds coming from the state.

Centennial Elementary was one of five Pasco elementary schools to receive the grant; the others are Calusa Elementary, Gulf Trace Elementary, Cotee River Elementary, and Seven Springs Elementary.

According to Chip Wichmanowski, executive director of the Pasco Education Foundation, all the schools will be offering kindergarten camps this summer.

"The foundation is very happy with the camp projects," Wichmanowski said. "These camps enable students to hit the ground running, prepared to start the first day of school."

Wallen said the camp will better prepare young children for the academic experience.

"After attending this camp, they know what their teachers, their schools and its staff members look like," she said. "It eases their first-time jitters until they don't have them anymore."

The camp is only open to students of Centennial Elementary School. To be eligible for the Kindergarten Camp, children must be fully registered, with current physical examinations and immunizations. The deadline for registration is Friday. For information, call the school at (352) 524-5000.

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