Well, getting ready for that first day of school is both exciting and can be overwhelming, especially for the little ones, the kindergartners.

That's why staff at Booker Elementary put together a kinder camp before the new school year began.

It was a great learning experience for students, teachers, and parents, too.

(Cullen Skyles) So today we are introducing our kindergartners, our incoming kindergartners, to school.

We have about 35 kindergartners coming in.

We wanted to get them in the process of what it's like to come to school, leave their parents for a little bit, get them set up for the first day.

That way we can ease, kind of, the anxiety of coming here and being left and make sure the parents feel that they can trust us and and feel more comfortable coming in.

(Willie Ward-Hudson) The kids came in this morning with their families.

They were met in the beginning, in the entryway with the admin and our staff, and we were able to color code our kids so the parents knew right away who their child's teacher was.

And we went inside, and we just started off our morning routine.

-So what this is gonna look like today?

We're gonna go into the cafeteria.

They're gonna get breakfast.

Follow me, guys.

My name is Cullen Skyles.

I'm the principal at Booker.

This is Miss Castillo.

She's my assistant principal.

And then our teachers, our kinder teachers, we have Miss Ward-Hudson, Miss Lucky, and Miss Vicente.

Today is going to look a little different.

We're just focusing on getting the kids comfortable today.

Tomorrow, we're gonna start our procedures, so our drop-off procedures and our pick-up procedures.

All right, so when you guys drop off in the morning, you're going to drive in through here, drop off, because the kinder gate is right there.

All right.

So when they get out of the car, they'll come straight into this gate.

Come on, Sally.

Next Wednesday will be the last day we'll allow parents to walk in.

You'll just have to kiss your kids goodbye here in the car, and they'll walk in through here.

Some of our students do have prior schooling, so coming in is not so hard for them.

But those that have never separated from their families, it's hard.

It's not only hard for the students, but for the parents, too.

(Jennifer Perkins) It's really hard because he is my baby.

But it's exciting because I know he's growing up and getting that independence and everything that he's gonna need to grow.

-All right, friends.

So good morning, my friends.

(student) Good morning.

-Good morning.

Are you excited to be here today?

Yes?

(children) Yes.

-If you're excited, raise your hand.

Cool.

Do you know where you are?

Where are you?

(student) At kindergarten.

-You are in kindergarten.

And you're where?

At school.

-This is the first year for our kinder camp.

And basically it's a tradition that we'd like to continue, especially with the reception that we've seen from the parents and the students.

It made me teary-eyed because I was so excited, because we've never had that kind of experience before.

So it made it even better and more welcoming, like a home.

-Absolutely love this idea.

Well, administrators at Booker Elementary School also made surprise home visits to welcome new kindergarteners and to drop off some Bobcat swag as well.

What a fun way to welcome the youngest of students to an exciting new school year.