Story by Laurie Tarkan
The first day of school may be less jittery for some Clinton School kindergarteners--and their moms. That's what the Maplewood school's PTA is hoping to accomplish by hosting two summer playdates on the school playground for new families. The first is this Saturday, July 17 at 10 am.
The tradition got started a couple of years back when a new Clinton mom posted on MOL and a Mothers & More eloop looking for other new families to meet at the school yard. She offered to bring snacks. The mom, Amie Brockway-Metcalf, said her son, Oscar, didn't know any kids going to Clinton because they lived in South Orange, he went to preschool in West Orange and most of the kids who go to Clinton are from Maplewood. "I knew how stressful the first day was and I wanted him to have a familiar face or two on that day," she said. The playground playdates were a hit. "It was a huge deal for us that during that awful drop off at the kindergarten door, there were kids that Oscar had played with before," she said.
This year, the PTA made it an official event. "We hope to ease the transition for the children and parents by holding these informal gatherings where children can play with other new students and new parents can speak with returning parents about Clinton school," said Jung Lee Masters, the PTA president, who will be there with her own incoming kindergartener--and snacks!
Here are the details:
Clinton School New Family Playdates
Who: Incoming kindergarten students and their families
What: Meet-and-greet playdates. All families, new and returning, are welcome!
When: Saturday, July 17 and August 28 from 10 am - 11:30 am.
Where: Clinton School Playground, 27 Berkshire Road, Maplewood, NJ.
(Photo: Incoming Clinton kindergarteners Toby Garritano and Owen Masters)
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