For the third year, children entering kindergarten in the Remsen Central School District were able to get an early start on their learning with “Alphabet Boot Camp” (ABC Boot Camp).

The program, funded by the United Way of the Valley and Greater Utica Area, aims to help students gain the basic knowledge and concepts they need to thrive in kindergarten, while also developing their social, fine motor and gross motor skills. Throughout the program, students were able to add to what they had already learned in the Remsen pre-K program, with each activity focusing on nurturing sensory development and applying new skills through hands-on practice. The students sang, danced, read books, practiced writing and learned about the expectations of a kindergarten classroom.

Helping students to become better prepared for kindergarten establishes an incentive to learn early on in their education and makes children more likely to strive for academic excellence in the future.

This year’s program was, once again, led by Beth Meeusen, Family/School Coordinator for the United Way of the Valley and Greater Utica.