Wow — it’s Aug. 19 already. This means several things. The days are getting shorter, Leos and Virgos are celebrating birthdays, and the first day of school is just a couple of weeks away. Are these happy or sad situations? Let’s map it out. First, shorter days. It’s a bummer to lose daylight; on the other hand, we know that cooler weather is on the horizon — and fall colors and pumpkin spice lattes. Yay! Second, Leos and Virgos. This is all about birthdays, so let’s hear it for balloons, chocolate cake and blue skies. Yay! And last but not least, the start of school. Depending on your point of view, this is happy and/or sad. Framing this in weather-speak, I’d say it’s mostly sunny with a chance of showers. Yay?
Since school is just around the corner, and August is Get Ready for Kindergarten Month, I thought it would be a perfect time to focus today’s column on the little ones. The first day of school is a BIG DEAL for both kindergartners and their parents (teachers, too). But did you know it’s also a big deal for school buses and school buildings? According to “It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus!” and “School’s First Day of School,” everyone and everything is a little bit nervous before the first bell rings. One way to help those first-day jitters is to use your imagination. Maybe going to kindergarten will be like visiting another planet as the young protagonist in “Planet Kindergarten” imagines. Or maybe pretending to be a dinosaur will knock out those worry-willies, a tactic that Arnold tries in “Super Saurus Saves Kindergarten.”
One of the hurdles little ones (and parents) have to face on that first day of school is being separated from each other. Well, it turns out that a first-time school bus driver can experience separation anxiety, too, especially if the driver is a pirate and his parrot companion flies away from the bus. Check out “Kindergarrrten Bus” to find out how the rough and tough pirate driver starts to identify with his young passengers.
But school doesn’t have to be scary — it’s fun, too! “Kindergarten Is Cool!” shows all the ways it rocks. If your early learners are into counting, make the days leading up to the first day of school more fun. Check out “Kindergarten Countdown!: 10 More Sleeps Until School Starts!” and encourage your family to do your own ten-day countdown to the big day.
