Byram pre-schoolers ready for K

Byram Twp. - The PTA of Byram Twp. Schools is running a pre-school story hour for children of Byram residents who will be attending kindergarten in 2006. The program is designed to help ease the transition from pre-school to kindergarten. The fall program meets from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays for eight weeks. Another story hour will be available in the spring for those unable to attend the fall session. The PTA pre-school story hour is a program of story reading and crafts. It is run by a PTA parent volunteer from the community. The current story hour is being run by Debbie Zink and includes 21 children. The first story hour session took place during National Fire Safety week and the children had the opportunity to visit with township firefighters and see a fire engine along with the kindergarten classes. They also enjoyed a Halloween costume party. When the program ends in December, the children will have the opportunity to visit a kindergarten classroom and take a tour of the school The PTA story hour is one way the school and community works together to ensure a smooth transition into kindergarten. Another occurs in March, following kindergarten registration, when the kindergarten teachers in Byram host a parent orientation. The goal is to ease the pre-school parents into kindergarten by providing them with information and allowing them to ask questions. The pre-school children have the opportunity to visit a kindergarten classroom and a team of kindergarten teachers again in May during a kindergarten screening session. Finally, each incoming kindergartner is invited to an orientation in August, where the children and their parents are invited to visit the classroom to meet the child’s teacher. The move from pres-chool to kindergarten can cause anxiety in both parents and children as they venture into unfamiliar territory. The PTA pre-school story hour and other scheduled events help to make this transition easier.