Some Tri-Cities kids are already back in class. Here’s a look at a post-COVID classroom

Colorful letters and numbers, and plushies of Clifford the Big Red Dog hang from the walls of Mrs. Bruce’s kindergarten classroom.

As students begin to find their spots on the floor — sitting criss cross, applesauce — the 13-year teacher whips out a ukulele.

“Today, we’re going to sing a special song about Splash,” Bruce told her students.

Then, in the style of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” she began singing: “There is an otter at Amon Creek, and Splash is his name-o.”

“S-P-L-A-SH,” the classroom sang together, repeating the song and replacing letters with hand claps.

If there were jitters Wednesday morning at Amon Creek, students weren’t showing them.

In an effort to get kids, parents and teachers adjusted to the upcoming school year, Kennewick School District this week is hosting several days of classroom visits for their incoming class of kindergartners.

Six classrooms totaling 100 students — many of them 5 and 6 years old — engaged in activities, learning, snack time, recess and, yes, even singing songs about the school’s mascot for about two hours a day this week.

“Music is a wonderful introduction, a wonderful experience for students. You can learn so many skills through music,” Julie Bruce told the Tri-City Herald.

The start of this school year also marks a return to normalcy for many as social distancing, mask mandates and other COVID-19 precautions have been scaled back. Students and staff will still need to isolate for five days if they test positive, and masks are still required around the health room.

Principal Chad Foltz said they’ve only had one normal school year since Amon Creek opened in 2018. Classes start on Wednesday, Aug. 31.

This is also the first time the school district is hosting these kinder kickoff days.

“I like it that we have kindergartners that are going to come to school prepared. They’ve already been here. They’re going to know where to line up, the names of teachers, be familiar with procedures,” Foltz said.

The opportunity has also boosted the students’ confidence.

“I think it surprised some of their parents, too,” Foltz said. “Their confidence is just huge.”

Students also took pre-assessments to show where they are academically, too.

In Room 9, teacher Nicole Hagner read a picture book to her students about the many fears of the first day of kindergarten, and how it’s OK to ask questions and learn.

“You don’t have to know how to tie your shoes for kindergarten... teachers can help you with almost everything,” she said.

Hagner — who has taught 1st and 2nd grade, and other specialty classrooms — said teaching kindergarten is “by far my favorite.” The social and academic development kindergartners go through in a single school year is exciting.

“They’re only in kindergarten right now, but it’s very exciting to see them ‘get’ something,” she said.

A sticking point her recent students have had is with their fine motor skills — it’s how they draw with their hands or use scissors to cut paper. She’s been busy implementing more activities with puzzles and building blocks to help those students with those skills.

Kindergartners at Amon Creek are as sociable as they’ve ever been, she said.

Enrollment at the Amon Creek will be about 750 students, Foltz said. The elementary school is the largest within the Kennewick School District because of the amount of development going on in the western part of the Tri-Cities.

And while the school district saw an enrollment decrease of about 500 students during COVID-19, Amon Creek’s population remained steady.

School start dates

It’s not too late if you haven’t gone back to school shopping — there’s still a little time before classes start up again.

• At Richland School District, 1st through 12th grades will go back Tuesday, Aug. 30, and kindergartners start Thursday, Sept. 1.

• On Aug. 30, Pasco students grade first through sixth, as well as high school freshman, will have their first day. Grades seventh through eighth, and 10th through 12th, will start Aug. 31. And Pasco kindergartners start Sept. 1.

• Elementary, middle school, Kamiakin High School students, and high school freshman at Kennewick and Southridge high schools start Aug. 31. Sept. 1 will be the first day for the rest of the high schoolers at Kennewick School District. Kindergartners will have a “slow start,” with family-teacher conferences on Aug. 31 and leading up to Sept. 7, when all students will be in class.

There’s no school Sept. 5 in observance of Labor Day.