Fremont Elmentary kicks off first pre-K class

For most Nevada students, the first day of school is in August, but for the newly developed pre-K class at Fremont Elementary School, their first day didn’t happen until Tuesday.

Twenty students between the ages and 4 and 5 attended the two half-day class sessions for Dr. Tanya Caron’s pre-K class. Caron said the first day went off without a hitch.

“I feel like I won the teacher lottery,” Caron said. “There have been no hiccups and it has been a really good day so far.”

Caron, with her aid Gabriela Nodar, spent the day with the kids introducing them to the new class and having a structured dynamic play time where the students could do activities from reading and writing to playing in a construction zone with the other kids. The 10 children in Caron’s afternoon class spent their time using their imagination and making new friends. But all of the kids were excited about starting their first day. Becca and Keeli, both 4, excitedly kept repeating Tuesday was their first day of school.

Fremont was the last Title I school in Carson City to not have a pre-k class, but recently, funds became available and the district decided to create the class. However, the school wasn’t able to start the class at the beginning of the year because the school couldn’t find a teacher. It wasn’t until December Caron decided to apply for the job. Caron has been with the school district for several years as a pre-K teacher trainer and second language teacher.

“We are so pleased to have Dr. Caron back at Fremont and in the classroom,” Fremont Principal Casey Gilles said. “We are so glad she applied for the position, this is her specialty.”

The pre-K class follows an abbreviated curriculum, called Curiosity Corner that works on oral development, early math skills and motor skills. The children have a theme the class is centered on for two weeks that’s the focal point for their lessons and dramatic play and exploration, said Caron. The challenge will be fitting over a dozen themes into only a few months for the rest of the year.

“Normally, we would have 18 themes and we will have to modify that so it will be a challenge starting in the middle of the year, but it will all work out,” Caron said.

For this week, the kids just focus on the theme of Welcome to Curiosity Corner, with their class mascot, Curiosity the Cat. For now, the kids enjoyed playing, making new friends and enjoying their Animal Crackers and milk.

Liam, 5, summed it up best:

“It is so far, so good.”