by Valeria Laitinen

Class of 2034 Are Digital Natives

by Valeria Laitinen, former Director of Early Childhood, JK-G2

The ACS Athens class of 2034 graduated from Kindergarten on June 9, 2022. Dressed in T-shirts signed by all of their classmates and handmade graduation caps, Ms. Venos’ and Ms. Dimitri’s students filed into the elementary amphitheater accompanied by “We Are the World,” a timeless call to action and positive change by U.S.A. for Africa. Excited by the opportunity to be on campus for the first time since 2020, parents stood and snapped photos of their adorable graduates. Students performed a heartwarming rendition of the song “First Grade, First Grade” based on the tune of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.” Complete with body movements, students sang that they know their ABCs and 123s, and more importantly, they learned to share and get along with their friends.

ACS Athens President, Dr. Peggy Pelonis, welcomed parents and family members and encouraged them to spend as much time with their children as possible as time passes so quickly. She congratulated the graduating students and welcomed them to first grade. Special thanks were given to the teachers, aides, counselor and citizenship coordinator, nurses, and cleaning staff for contributing to the growth, development, and health of our students and to the parents for their continued collaboration and trust.

Ms. Moros, Elementary School Principal, spoke directly to the graduating kindergartners inviting them to “take the technology of today to new dimensions.” She stated that “We call you ‘technology natives’ because you already know how to scroll on devices with ease, read books, do work online, and have advanced social networking skills that will shrink our world so we can always be connected. You are the ones who will bring solutions to environmental concerns and care for our world by paying attention to it and showing it love. Someone among you may find cures for illness. And who knows? There may come a time that some of you live on a space station circling the earth.”

The ACS Athens kindergarten curriculum includes units of study on developing classroom citizenship skills and learning about community helpers, interdependent relationships within ecosystems, and weather, which all contribute to building empowered and informed global citizens. Students began the year co-creating classroom rules and, throughout the year, continued practicing courtesy, honesty, and fairness in working with others, building an understanding of how classroom rules promote equity and help resolve conflicts, and contributing to making and maintaining community decisions.

In the community helpers unit, students engaged in systems thinking mapping to understand how all members of a community are connected and work together to contribute to their success, safety, health, and enjoyment within their community. Working in rotating centers following whole class lessons, kindergarten students learned the foundational skills needed for reading, writing, and math. Students developed presentation skills as well as active listening skills by sharing special toys and items from their homes. Students also had daily opportunities to explore their interests during free exploration time. Afternoon lessons in Greek, Music, Art, P.E., Library, and Technology rounded out the weekly kindergarten schedule.

The kindergarten graduation in June celebrated the culmination of a successful year of in-person learning that included the opening of the new early childhood playground, an outdoor space specifically designed for exploration and creative play. As one of the first events open to parents post-COVID, it also provided parents the opportunity to see all of the learning spaces their children inhabited throughout the year. The ceremony emphasized the role our soon-to-be first graders will play in shaping our world and our future. It also highlighted the importance of empowering our students to become lifelong learners who care for others, identify and solve problems, and shape how we develop and use technology for positive change.