PORT JERVIS—Amry Errico, 5, is excited to start school at Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School on September 3.
She’s not exactly sure what school means yet—when asked what people do at school, she replies, “I don’t know.”
The words homework, tests, and common core are a bit theoretical for her at this point. She has spent the summer swimming, helping her mom take care of their animals, and visiting her grandma in Canada.
What Errico knows of school is from her older friend Jessica who is going into third grade this year. When asked if she thinks school will be more fun than summer, she gives a frank, “No.”
However her mom says she is excited to be able to read, and she says she likes math, a good foundation for any soon-to-be student.
For most adults, the prospect of starting school for the first time is a long-forgotten feeling.
Census data from 2013 show that 87.7 percent of Orange County residents 25 years or older have graduated from high school, which means most would have been in school for at least three-quarters of their life by the time they graduate.
While some adults may go back to school after a long hiatus, going back to school will never be the fresh, scintillating adventure it once was as a pre-schooler or kindergartener, seeing the inside of a classroom for the first time.
Errico’s mother, Sally Porter, said the short week and long weekend will hopefully help Errico become accustomed to the school schedule without overwhelming her.
Most school districts in Orange County start classes on Sept. 2, right before the long Memorial Day weekend that extends to Sept. 7.
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