It can leave a lasting first impression of fear not good for the first day of school. At Mary Harrison Primary School, classroom doors are seldom closed and parents are never strangers. Chances are, when kindergarten students begin school, they already have new friends. They've met the teacher, the secretary, and the custodian. They know where the bathrooms are.
Parents know the ropes, too.
But that doesn't happen by chance. The transition team at Mary Harrison began as a collaborative project with the local Head Start program three years ago. The team includes staff, parents, and district and social service representatives. They meet monthly to discuss specific family and school issues, making sure teachers share insights as children move from preschool to different grade levels to the next school. As a result of early efforts in 1993, several community businesses and agencies helped bring families in by sponsoring an immunization clinic at the school.