Back to School: Excitement fills the air as preschoolers begin their first day of school at the Children's Learning Center

It wasn’t the typical response you would expect to hear on the first day of preschool from a parent.

“I’m going to leave you soon, I promise,” Bonnie Thompson told her daughter, Desi, with a laugh.

Desi showed up Monday at the Children’s Learning Center in Pontiac full of smiles and ready to begin her new adventure without Mom and Dad staying by her side. The 3-year-old prepared for the big day by sleeping in her own bed for the first time the night before school started.

“Turn around so I can get a photo of you by your cubby,” Bonnie said. “Look at me!”

Desi, dressed in a Frozen T-shirt with matching light up tennis shoes, burst into a smile.

Desi (center) walks into the Children’s Learning Center on her first day of preschool with her father, Dennis Thompson, and mother, Bonnie.

“I’m glad she feels confident,” Bonnie said as she left with Desi’s father, Dennis Thompson.

Across the hall, Moises was eager to talk to his new teacher, Michelle Guzinski.

“Look at this!” he said proudly as he showed her a Ziplock bag containing his spare Superman underwear.

The 4-year-old walked into the classroom with his parents and headed toward the carpet.

“Can you find your name?” Guzinski asked.

Moises pointed to a blue bin, “That’s my name!”

The friendly boy then walked by a parent he didn’t know and greeted her with “Buenos Días!” 

Grecia Gonzalez, Moises’ mother, said he was very excited to start preschool.

“I hope he has a good day and really loves it and continues to have that same energy,” she said.

Once everyone arrived, Guzinski called all of the children to the carpet to sing the “Good Morning” song and explained classroom rules. Most appeared happy but at one point one boy cried out, “I want my mommy!” A staff member comforted the child as Guzinski showed the class a paper train that would move along the day’s schedule that was taped to the wall.

“If you want to talk, you can raise your hand,” she explained. “If we all talk at the same time, we can’t hear anyone.”

Oakland Family Services operates Children’s Learning Centers, which offer both Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) and tuition-based classrooms, in Pontiac and Walled Lake. The centers offer a warm learning environment that ensures students enter kindergarten ready to succeed. To learn more about our Children’s Learning Centers, call (248) 239-2074 or fill out this form.