JP Kindergarten Students Take the Stage for Open Mic at Starbooks Café

Students at John Paulding School (JP) bring a whole new meaning to “Show and Tell.” The kindergarten students invited special guests into their very own cafe, where they took on various roles and showed off their skills. They served as performers, cashiers, waiters, greeters, and chefs.

“They made everything from the signs to the stage, they did all the prep work. They were so engaged in it,” said Meggan Mangiacotti, Kindergarten teacher at the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns.

Guests were greeted at the door with bright smiles and were handed play-money to use to purchase treats such as drinks and donuts. Once inside the classroom the guests paid the adorable cashiers who were eager to ring them up.

“What would you like to purchase?” said one student as she happily pressed every button on her toy cash register. The cashiers then directed their guests to sit wherever they would like. Once seated servers tended to their patrons by writing down orders and eagerly fetching their goodies.

At the podium, students told stories as they showcased their knowledge of letters, letter sounds, pattern sentences, writing skills, and illustrating their ideas. They read their own books on an open mic.

“We worked on their stories for a month or so. They brainstormed book ideas and these are their final drafts,” Ms. Mangiacotti said as the students circulated the “cafe” while proudly reading their stories and showing off their illustrations to customers.