Kindergarten Students Take a Trial Run

A small teddy bear sat on bus driver William Henckel's dashboard, but it was not the most welcoming thing on the bus Thursday — that would be Henckel himself.

He greeted each of the incoming kindergarten students warmly, as they took a trial bus run less than a week before beginning classes at Sandy Hook School.

"Hi sweetheart," he said to the first student. "How is your sister?  I thought she would be out here to say hi."

To another student, Henckel asked his father first, "Let me make sure I know how to pronounce his name – Declan."

Henckel then addressed the student, "Hi Declan," before saying to himself, "I'll have to remember that one."

Many of the children were wearing their best for the day – dresses and bows for the girls and tucked-in polo shirts for the boys.  Others were in shorts and tees, wearing whatever made them feel their best the day they were to meet their teacher and kindergarten peers.

It was a long-awaited event not only for students testing the waters of independence, but also for adult volunteers.

"This is the one thing I can't give up," said Tracey Jaeger, one of the volunteers who rode two shifts of buses with kindergarten students.  "It's just too much fun."

Almost every year this activity is in danger of being cancelled due to a shortage of volunteers.

"I was heartbroken the year my daughter started when we got the letter saying that they weren't able to have it," said Janet Ziperstein, who was volunteering this year.  "I wish they had told the kindergarten parents before they cancelled it.  We would have made it happen. This is so important."

When the bus pulled into the school drive, 4-year-old Gabriella Arguello said, "I love this school. Love it! Love it! Love it!"

Not every child was so enthusiastic.

On the morning route there were two who cried, Henckel said. But they found out it was not so bad. They got on, and looked around, and soon after seeing the other kids, they were fine, he said.

Joanne Didonato, the secretary at Sandy Hook School, greeted and ushered the children off the buses, and put them in groups by class.  They scrambled, partly in excitement, and partly in confusion, not sure where to stand or whom to follow.

Anna Ochs was in Janet Vollmer's morning kindergarten class. She showed off the "My First Bus Ride" picture they colored in the classroom. 

"The animals have clothes," she said.  "I'm not sure why."

In addition to coloring the sheet, Vollmer read two books.

"It was nice to see some people we know in her class," Anna's mother Jennifer said.  "Between (classes at) Tumble Jungle, the pool, and preschool, we knew quite a few."