WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Celebrating students at the end of their journey is a common routine, but the West Seneca Central School District is flipping the script in the hopes of celebrating its youngest students at the beginning of their journey.
As we approach the last three until the start of the new school year, some students are entering school for the very first time.
To ease the anxiety for students and their parents, the school district hosted its second annual 'On My Way to K' event.
Assistant Superintendent for Education Operations, Carmalina Persico said, "We hope that they'll feel far more comfortable about coming to school on their first official day. They will have the opportunity tonight to ride the bus with their family, so it makes it a little less scary and so when it actually comes to be the first day of school, they'll feel a little more comfortable coming on that school bus."
Persico said this event is welcoming families from each of the five elementary schools within the district.
She added, "Each student will receive a drawstring bag with an 'On My Way to K' t-shirt that we'll ask them all to wear their first week of school. In that bag, we have some resources for families, we have a list of who's who to contact in the district, regarding transportation, registration, food service etc."
Students even got to join a kazoo conga line and walked away with a free book.
7 News' Pheben Kassahun caught up with a few young tykes to hear what they were looking forward to the most.
Adriana Mantione shared that she is looking forward to making new friends and coloring.
Zander Ndeze said he is looking forward to making new friends and playing on the playground.
Joey Sparacio shared that he is looking forward to learning from his teacher who had just met at the event. He added that she was nice.
For Kristen Frawley who has 25 years of teaching and is entering her seventh year in her role as principal at West Elementary School, she is hoping her students get a glimpse of how school can be fun.
Frawley said, "There's always so much excitement that surrounds the beginning of the school year and everybody is excited, and refreshed and rejuvenated and then you have an event like this, where you've got kindergartners coming into the schools for the first time and it's just absolutely wonderful. It's a huge celebration. It's what keeps me coming back."
The first day of class is set for Thursday, Sep. 7.
