Kindergarten

I just started watching this show about a month ago, and I fell in love with it, and I mean totally. This show is so heart-warming. Happy and sad moments happen and these kids learn and experience new things for the first times. The kids are all different, that's what's so great. They are all wonderful though; they have a great teacher, that's why probably. If you like documentaries, kids shows (though I think adults would actually be more interested in this show), or kids, give this show a chance, I doubt you'll regret it. It is sure to bring back memorys for any adult and it's just so fun to watch. The show is mostly footage of the class doing different things but also it is peppered with private interviews with the children, so as we see something happen we might see one kid talk to us about it (like a ...confessional?). This show just makes me be really happy to be alive.

For those who love and admire the professionalism of Ms. Jennifer Vaz Johnson, I think you will be happy to know that the last time I checked, she was still a teacher at the same elementary school in Nyac...but is teaching the sixth grade instead of Kindergarten. As is appropriate for a person of her intelligence and maturity, she has a family now and I believe she has at least one child of her own. I also checked on some of those wonderful children who brought so much wonder to our lives. The African American cute kid Quincy who does from time to time harass Jonas and who wanted to become a fireman ended up as a six foot plus linebacker at a prestigious small college in Georgia. He is currently racking up some rather impressive gains on the football field.

These kids are supposedly going to graduate from high school next month. I've always wondered what became of them after the show ended. I also would like to know about their former teacher, Jennifer Vaz Johnson as well. I truly enjoyed the show, especially as my adopted son was in kindergarten at the same time they were while filing the show. He got to skip 6th grade so he graduated from high school last year. He remembers a bit of the show as well. I hope someone like whoever from the network would have some details about them. Even if details about some of them are unknown due to the many years having passed since then.

Kindergarten is a 13-part children's documentary series which chronicles a year in the life of a real-life Kindergarten located in Upper Nyack (near Long Island) New York. Each episode which has a title and theme, is filmed unrehearsed and marks a milestone for the class of Jennifer Vaz Johnson, every elementary school child's dream teacher. There is, of course, the first day, the trip to the firehouse, the missing "Gingerbread" man, the acquisition of a hamster, a special spooky Halloween and joyous Christmas episode. And let's not forget the class garden outside and the "mystery" visitor who nibbled up the class's lettuce. And these are just some of the episodes. The thing that makes this documentary work so well is the encumbered clarity and spontaneity of each child's response (often hilarious) to an event or interaction with another student. Sometimes children are caught "red-handed" doing an alleged misdeed: there was the little African American boy who kicked or hit another student and then denied it, the young boy who disrupted class by talking out of turn, or the precious little tyke who snatched a crayon away from another student who then started to cry and make a big stink over it-- ("It was only a crayon", the girl responds in her defense.) Ms. Johnson has infinite patience for each child,never once raising her voice and showing the viewing audience how GREAT a teacher she is (and serving as a great example for new primary school teachers) There is a very special holiday episode where children learn to embrace other cultures and the true meaning of holiday season and how Christmas, Kwanza and Hannekuh are celebrated. This is unforgettable stuff and a truly one of a kind documentary. Interspersed are short animation sequences which serve to announce the show's theme or as narration.

Unfortunately, right now it is only being shown on HBO Family at 7:30 weekend mornings which is a very inconvenient time for both parents and children who may want to sleep late. Hopefully, it will be released on DVD as it would be a great tool to ease the anxiety of preschool children who have not entered the public school system to show them how much fun it can be. Every parent with a preschool age child should run out and buy this documentary as soon as it becomes available (which it isn't right now). Kudos to production executive Bruce Shaw and producer Karen Goodman for making such an innovative documentary. Oddly, a sequel of sorts aired on HBO and was made (not by the same producers) called "Planet Twelve", chronicling a year in the life of sixth graders.

After over 35 years in the profession of early childhood education, I thoroughly endorse, applaud and praise this documentary. I trained future preschool teachers at a community college, and if I were still teaching, I would make all of the videos required watching.

Ms. Jennifer Vaz Johnson is excellent! She is the personification of "best practices". For the reviewer who disliked, some of the children's unscripted conversations, please know that they are typical. Preschool teachers are privy to countless insights into their young students' home-lives, secret thoughts and nagging concerns. This is why discretion, ethical behavior and confidentiality are so important in the teaching profession. Additionally, we generally avoid the use of euphemisms for body parts and biological functions.

The only objection I have about the series is that I have always advised my students to refrain from use of the adjectives "bad" and "good". No child should be locked into a stock behavior that often can become unalterable; thus, a teacher should be patient, try to understand the child's underlying reasons for all actions, and react in a positive and kindly-firm manner (especially when someone is being provocative).

Miss Johnson is the greatest example of an excellent teacher. I could have watched the goings-on of the entire semester! If anyone knows what she is doing now, please post.