By By Lynette Wilson / staff writer
August 18, 2002
Kimberly Hodge tidied up her living room Thursday morning in anticipation of a visit from her four-year-old son Jaylon's teachers.
West End prekindergarten teacher Brenda Stewart and her teaching assistant, Leria Johnson, had two reasons for paying a home visit to the Hodges: to make the transition to school easier on Jaylon and to establish a rapport with his parents.
Stewart and Johnson spent the better part of last week making home visits to all 15 of their students.
Jaylon and 14 other four-year-olds start school at 7:45 a.m. Monday. The children and their parents were to visit Stewart and Johnson in the classroom Friday morning, again to ease the transition, and to introduce the children to the classroom.
Stewart shared the school supplies list with Hodges asking that Jaylon come to school with fat pencils, crayons, a mat to lie down on at nap time, a beach towel to be used as a blanket and an extra set of clothes in case of a messy spill or bathroom accident.
West End Elementary offers two of the seven prekindergarten classes in Meridian. Students are enrolled on a first come, first serve basis and there is a waiting list. It is required that parents provide transportation for the their child to and from school.
Hodge admitted to being a little scared about sending Jaylon off to school, but she said she heard about the prekindergarten classes from other parents and wanted to give her son the opportunity.
This is Stewart's second year teaching prekindergarten. She has taught kindergarten, first grade and secondary education, but said her love is for the little kids.