In Groton, 400 of district's youngest students head to school
Groton — Cameron Congdon hung on to his mother’s hand in the cafeteria of Pleasant Valley Elementary School on Tuesday morning.
“How old are you?” kindergarten teacher Jessica Legnos asked.
He held up four fingers.
Tuesday was the first day of preschool, prekindergarten and kindergarten for 400 children in Groton, and at Pleasant Valley, there were a few tears.
About 4,200 students in grades 1 through 12 went back to school in Groton last Thursday.
“I think he was excited until he got here,” said Jamie Salvatore, Cameron’s mother. “Now I think he’s a little nervous, but it’ll be good.”
Ashlee McNichol tried to hold it together for her son Riley, 5. “I’m about to cry as soon as I get to that car,” she said. “My first one.”
Pleasant Valley has three kindergarten classes of about 17 students each, and enrolls 300 children in kindergarten through grade 5.
Jesiah Brown, 5, kept close to his mother as Legnos approached.
“I’m so excited that you’re in my class,” Legnos said.
Jesiah hugged her and handed her a composition book he’d written in.
“You ready? This is so special,” the teacher said.
Principal Kathleen Miner said she was pleased with how the morning went.
The school had an open house last week, and each of the children attended a kindergarten screening last Thursday and Friday, so they had the chance to meet their teachers, Miner said.
“This is the first day he’s going to be away from me since he was born,” Kendra Hakes said of her son, Michael, 5. “So I’m having some separation issues. He’s fine.”
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