Across Somerville, Wednesday, May 22 was a much-anticipated day for rising Kindergarteners and their families. It was Kindergarten Transition Day, the opportunity for some of Somerville’s youngest learners to visit the schools they will attend in the fall.

For educators, the event is weeks in the making. As Meghan Bouchard, SFLC Family and Liaison Program Coordinator, explains, “there is a lot of coordination and outreach involved in getting ready for the event. Teachers are preparing to meet and welcome new students and families, administrative teams are rearranging schedules, readying the schools, and many SFLC Family Liaisons are making phone calls in several different languages to encourage attendance and to begin the process of building strong relationships with families.”

For parents and guardians, it’s a chance to meet one another, meet the Kindergarten teachers, and have their questions answered and any concerns addressed. Students explore in their new classroom with their new classmates. Every rising kindergartener leaves with a goodie bag full of art materials to use and a book to read over the summer.

“The transition event offers the chance for both students and parents/guardians to become familiar and comfortable with their new school, contributing to each student’s readiness for kindergarten and helping to lay the foundation for an exciting life-long love of learning,” explains Nancy Holmes, School Readiness Transition Specialist.

And for the Kindergarteners themselves? When one was asked the best part of his morning, he said, “I can’t wait to go to school with my big sister.”

Each school’s Transition Day activities may differ slightly in detail, but not in intent. As Meghan Bouchard summarizes, “The goal is for all Somerville families to feel included and engaged in our schools right from the start.”