Preschool, Kindergarten Start at Anchorage Schools; Teacher Highlights Routines and a Small Milestone

Dani Tompkins, a field reporter, checked in from Clatt Elementary School as preschool and kindergarten students in the Anchorage School District started classes on the first day of the school year. Teacher Miss Borg said staff focused on simple first-day routines — where to put backpacks and how the classroom works — to help children settle in.

"They were definitely very excited," Miss Borg said, describing children who arrived beaming and dropped their backpacks. She said the early‑childhood classroom is arranged to feel like "a home away from home," with calm, accessible areas for young learners. Because it was the first day, Miss Borg said there was not much student work yet on the walls, but she expects drawings and photos to appear within a couple of weeks.

Miss Borg said the part of the job she most looks forward to is getting to know students and watching small steps of progress. She shared one classroom milestone: a child who usually says few words spoke five different words during a read‑aloud, including the words "under, over." The anecdote illustrated the teacher's emphasis on language and routine as part of early‑childhood learning.

The live segment closed with the reporter and anchor thanking Miss Borg and wishing students a good start to the year.