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Youngest students get a jump on school at Altoona Area School District kindergarten camp

AASD kindergarten readiness camp helps children acclimate to new environment

By Colette Costlow 4 min read

Incoming Pleasant Valley Elementary School kindergarten students are learning a thing or two about their classrooms, teachers and peers this week, thanks to the Altoona Area School District's kindergarten readiness camp.

Supported through Gov. Josh Shapiro's investments in public education, the optional readiness camp is hosting half-day classes for about 250 children across eight district elementary schools, designed to acclimate students to the classroom.

Amy Lena, state Department of Education Deputy Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary School Education, joined Pleasant Valley Elementary School students for class and lunch Tuesday morning, learning how the camp benefits local kids.

Longtime kindergarten teacher Melanie Gearhart said the readiness camp lessens students' anxiety and increases their confidence before their first day of school.

"They become leaders of the classroom," kindergarten teacher Beth Macak said.

According to Superintendent Brad Hatch, the district launched its readiness camp many years ago to help young children transition from daycare, preschool or home into the full-day environment.

The one-week program usually starts in August, with classes lasting throughout the morning hours. Students receive another break after the camp before parent-teacher conferences slated for Aug. 26 and staggered entries scheduled on Aug. 27 and 28.

At the readiness camp, Haley Fleegle, assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and elementary programs, said teachers instruct students on classroom etiquette such as sitting on chairs and carpets, lunchroom protocols, hallway manners and playground behavior.

She said they learn about important school resources, including the school guidance counselor and the school nurse, but also play games and learn how to arrive and depart from school.

"It's not as much academic, but more of getting acclimated to what it's like to attend real school," Hatch said.

While about half of the incoming kindergarten class attends this camp, Fleegle said it has helped elementary school instructors ensure that more students are set up for success.

Since 2023, Altoona Area School District's state funding has increased by 37%, and increased adequacy funding has helped the district's mental health services, world language offerings and enrollment at the Altoona Greater Career and Technology Center.

Adequacy funding directed to Pennsylvania's most underfunded schools also covered the cost of more than 20 teaching positions involved with the district's full-day kindergarten program.

Hatch said this funding helps the district provide more opportunities for its students.

"A district of our size and our need would struggle to provide these opportunities for students without the support of the state funding," he said.

With that state funding, Altoona Area can bring students into its facilities and prepare them for the upcoming school year, Lena said.

"When school districts have the resources they need to provide every child with a high-quality education, you see programs like Altoona's ABC camp and full-day kindergarten program flourish," Lena said.

She also liked how the district is implementing a "seamless transition" into the school year by starting with parent-teacher conferences and then introducing staggered start dates.

"They're all about making sure the kindergarteners feel safe and know what they're doing, because it is a scary time," she said.

Gearhart and Macak are also fans of the program and how it prepares incoming students for the school year.

Gearhart was teaching students about compound words Tuesday morning using a smart board. Students were tasked with circling the photo that corresponded with the word Gearhart said aloud to the class. Meanwhile, Macak used props such as a stuffed cat and a pink hat to teach her students about rhyming words.

As longtime faculty members who typically teach classes for the kindergarten readiness camp, they both understand the program's value when school is in session.

"For a lot of kids, this is their very first school experience," Gearhart said. "So this is for them to come and see what school is all about."

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.

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