Each child reached for his or her mom’s hand.
They escorted their mothers into the kindergarten classroom blooming with colorful decorations.
Parents took a seat in one of the miniature chairs as their children served muffins and bagels, and a cup of coffee or tea.
A tiny planter with a photo of their little one encased in a flower frame and a card was at each place setting.
One by one, the 5- and 6-year-olds took a step up on a riser so they could reach the podium to share poems they wrote about their moms.
It was truly, Mother’s Day.
“They’ve been practicing,” said Patty Rind, teacher at Noah’s Ark Kindergarten, a half-day class Mondays through Fridays at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in Sewickley. “They were all really excited. I told them today is a day to wait on their moms, because their moms wait on them all the time.”
The annual Mother’s Day Poetry reading the Friday before Mother’s Day on Sunday has been a special happening at the school for nearly two decades (except during the pandemic).
Rind has been teaching kindergarten for 17 years. She and Lori Perkins have been teaching kindergarten together for 15 years. They incorporate various learning opportunities into the curriculum such as decorating the room with themes throughout the school year.
The latest was created in a rainforest décor.
The students have been learning about the animals that live in a rainforest. They’ve painted pictures and studied about the importance of saving the habitat. At the program Friday, they began with a song about the layers of the rainforest.
Then they read two poems. An acrostic poem is one where the first letter of each line spells out a word, name, or phrase when read vertically.
For example, for the letters M-O-T-H-E-R, the responses were: M — makes my birthday cake; O — one great mom; T — takes me outside; H — helps me tie my shoes; E — eats chicken; and R — runs around the neighborhood.
And then they read a cinquain poem, which is a poem or stanza composed of five lines. They said things they like to do and words that describe them such as lover of dinosaurs, big brother, athletic and helpful.
“It was precious,” said Danielle Huard, of Clinton, Findlay Township, who teared up when her son, Aiden, 5, read. “I loved every minute.”
Aiden said he wasn’t nervous reading his poems. He plans to give him mom a card on Sunday.
Amy Knox of Kennedy Township said she tried not to cry as her daughter Ellie, 6, read her poems.
“I love how personalized it was,” Knox said. “I love that she said I ride roller coasters with her and take her outside. They were all very brave and confident.”
Emily Kairys, of Moon Township, said her daughter, Ava, 6, was so excited she didn’t sleep much the night before. She selected a new sparkly dress to wear.
Ava is the youngest of Kairys’ four children. She said Noah’s Ark Kindergarten has more than prepared her kids for the first grade. There is a maximum of 18 students in the class, a 9:1 ratio of students to teacher.
“It’s such a quality school,” Kairys said. “They teach more than just what’s in a book. The poetry event gives us moms an opportunity to spend quality time with our children.”
“My mother is the best mother,” Ava said after the poetry reading.
“She loved being up there,” Kairys said. “Seeing Ava and her classmates up there and hearing them read their poems is wonderful. I loved listening to what they think of their moms. It is one of the most special Mother’s Day traditions.”
