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Clark County Schools Public Schools’ opening day for students is Tuesday, but some incoming kindergartners got to have a practice run last Thursday.

The kindergarteners from Shearer Elementary School spent half a day learning the ins and outs of the school day last week.

“We wanted to offer a program for our incoming kindergarten students to experience Shearer Elementary and have a little taste of what the school day looks like,” said the school’s family resource coordinator, Kristi Carter.

Close to 75 percent of this year’s kindergarten class

The students arrived at 8 a.m. and reported to their assigned classrooms for an hour to get acquainted with their teachers and other classroom staff.

The students were then treated to an art project and then went story time in the school library.

During the rest of the morning, they learned how to transition between learning spaces, went through the cafeteria line and took a short bus ride before dismissing at noon.

The bus ride was the highlight of the day for many students.

Carter had an idea why that was.

“It’s a big yellow bus. They have probably seen it go past their house, or they have gone past one,” she said. “Some of our students have never been able to ride a bus because they are usually in a car. Public transportation is not a big thing here in Winchester. So getting to ride the big yellow bus is a great experience.”

According to teacher Amy Bowling, getting to see their daily routine was also an excellent experience for the students and staff alike.

“It’s a great transition for them,” Bowling said. “They come in and they get to see faces that are going to be familiar to them on the. It helps them separate from their parents a little bit better…It also helps us work in a small group to get them ready for transitions: going to the bathroom and walking in the hallway; just the basic, everyday kindergarten things.”

The school day sneak preview was also designed to alleviate parents’ concerns before opening day.

“A lot of our parents are new parents, and this is the first time that they have had a student in public school,” Carter said. “We want them to rest assured that we have their children, that they are safe and that we have routines in place to ensure their safety.”

Diana Jackson, Shearer’s second-year principal, agreed with Carter.

“It gives parents an opportunity to come in and meet the teachers and see the school environment, and to promote community involvement and to allow them to see what is happening in the classroom.”

So was the day a success?

“It has been great!” Carter assessed.

And much of that is owed to the school’s faculty and staff.

“I would like to thank our school family resource coordinator for putting this together and of the other school stakeholders: the school counselor, the teachers, the custodians and food services,” Jackson said.