Bayou View Elementary holds kindergarten camp to help ease kids into school year

With Gulfport School District heading back to class next week, Bayou View Elementary School wanted to help their kindergartens get adjusted to elementary school.

Entering kindergarten can be a difficult transition for most students. So, to help ease the students into elementary school, Bayou View Elementary School decided to host a week-long kindergarten camp to help make the adjustment a little easier. Assistant Principal Christine Salminen said, “It’s a way to introduce them into kindergarten without shocking them by being here all day long. Some of these kids have never been in pre-school or anything before.”

During the camp, kids were able to interact with their new classmates, get well-acquainted with their new teacher, and get familiar with the layout of the school. Kindergarten teacher Erin Anderson said, “They’re learning the lay of the land. We take them through the cafeteria, how to get a tray, what our procedures and expectations are in the hallway, in the classroom, and they practice things that we are going to do all year.”

The students enjoyed a variety of activities to help enhance their different senses. “They have been working on centers, doing computer work, doing some hands-on work, working with their kinesthetics.”

Anderson says she enjoys the camp just as much as the students. “I love getting to know my students before school really starts.”

The Gulfport School District encourages summer camps because it allows the students to stay engaged throughout the summer months. “Camps in general are so beneficial to students. It helps them socialize. It helps them learn social skills and keep their minds and bodies engaged.”