Friday, March 29, 2024

‘From one chapter to the next’ | Oak Woods principals dress the part for kindergarten graduation

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Oak Woods School held its kindergarten graduation ceremony on Friday, May 19 — but the students weren’t the only ones wearing a cap and gown.

Principal Chelsey Gibson and Assistant Principal Nathan Daniels also wore their college graduation gowns from when they obtained their master’s degrees in education.

"(During the ceremony), we lead our kindergarteners down and we celebrate them,” Gibson said. “We celebrate all of their accomplishments. Not only academic accomplishments, but social accomplishments and their character as well. We've focused a big part of that on their character and how well they have done showing kindness, respect, and fairness with their classmates.”

All 80 graduates sang the song “First Grade Here We Come,” — a parody of One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.”

"They do sing a kindergarten song about going into first grade,” Gibson said. “Talking about you know, we've learned our sounds, our letters, our one, two, threes, and ABCs; it's the cutest little song.”

Gibson said the kindergarten class “loves to give hugs” and that all the kids are “extremely sweet.”

"They have very supportive parents, so anything that we've ever needed, our parents do a wonderful job of jumping in, and helping," she said. 

Gibson said her favorite part of the graduation ceremony is when the kids throw their caps into the air.

"To me, that's one of those things that signifies, 'We're moving on from one chapter to the next,’ so that's one that I love to see,” Gibson said. “Just looking back, thinking about everything that they've accomplished, but then thinking forward to the big things that they're going to do.”

She added that more than anything, she is proud of every single kindergartener.

"It’s been a great year with them, and we’re proud of every single one of them,” Gibson added. “We’re ready to see them shine in first grade.”