Teachers Help Students Start Off a Great Year
From the Desk of Mary Keever
What do you remember about the first grade? I certainly experience gladness when I remember the way my first grade teacher welcomed me into her classroom. Stepping into first grade is an adjustment as children begin to see that every new school year is full of experiences that may require them to step out of their comfort zone a bit. Westchester teachers do a beautiful job of helping each child through that learning process.
In my last post, I recounted the undeniably powerful connection I experienced with my pre-K and kindergarten teacher, Miss Sissy. Leaving the security of that preschool experience was nerve-wracking for me, and I vividly remember feeling nauseous as my family had breakfast together to begin the first day of school at Hammond School (then Academy).
Sidenote: My family of five ate breakfast and dinner together around the kitchen table every single weekday, a practice I tried (and failed) to emulate with my own family.
That morning, the oatmeal felt solid in my throat as I tried to eat while listening to my older sister, Bryson, chatter away about her expectations for fifth grade. As my mom led me into the classroom, which was swirling with the activity and energy of 15 first graders, I had to fight the urge to turn and flee. My mind was racing with worries about what my mom would do at home without me. (It slipped my mind that she would have plenty to occupy her time with my 1-year-old sister, Katherine). Mrs. Mary Ann Robinson sensed my worry immediately and bent down to place herself at my eye level. With a warm, quiet, strong voice, she assured me that we were going to have a great year together. Then, she handed me a box of Crayola crayons -- my OWN box of Crayola crayons! And there wasn’t a big sister lurking nearby to claim them for her own.
Our Wildcat first grade teachers, Ellen McEnaney and Darlene Wyatt, and Assistant Anna Shea, are equally captivating and artistic. Ms. McEnaney adds humor and artistry to every lesson and empowers every student to release the artist within. Her expert lessons are handcrafted to provide purpose and meaning every day. I invite you to observe the gallery outside her classroom produced after her lesson on Edvard Munch’s "The Scream." And consider joining them for Halloween yoga!
Ms. Darlene Wyatt is utterly unflappable and guides her students to become autonomous learners. They are proud of all they have accomplished as she beams at their progress.
Mrs. Anna Shea puts a personal touch on each encounter with her warm, inviting demeanor. This is a dynamic trio that can rule the world!
I look forward to sharing my memories of all my teachers in this blog, as well as highlighting some of the gladness displayed by our Wildcat Nation teachers.
 | Mary Keever Follow @WCDS_Head |
