Washington Kindergarteners Celebrate Successful Year

It was a celebration to remember at Washington Primary School where kindergarteners were congratulated on successfully completing their first year of classes in Huntington UFSD.

Family and friends gathered for a morning of singing, dancing, and celebration! “The students processed in on ‘ABC’ by the Jackson Five,” Principal Dr. Michelle Richards said. “They recited the ‘Pledge of Allegiance’ and sang ‘God Bless America.’”

The youngsters also recited ‘Here I Come,’ a poem about completing kindergarten and moving up to first grade. Under the direction of Ms. Julie Cooke, the youngsters sang “You Got a Friend in Me,” from the movie “Toy Story.”

Each student received a personalized certificate of kindergarten completion. The celebration concluded with “Celebrate Good Times,” by “Kool & the Gang.”

Most of the kindergarteners will be coming back to Washington in September as first graders. The first day of classes is set for Wednesday, September 2.

The history of Washington School is quite fascinating, even to the casual student of history. While it was under construction, it was known as Whitson Road Elementary School, before School Board members later decided to name new elementary schools erected south of 25A after U.S. presidents. (Interestingly, this policy was ignored when Roosevelt Elementary School was demolished and replaced by Huntington Elementary School.)

During its early years, the parcel of land adjacent to Washington’s west boundary was a horse training and racing facility, with barns and tracks. Crowds turned out on weekends to watch horse races. The site was later sold to developers and now features traditional suburban housing.