This article was submitted by Corrie Bivens.  She is a kindergarten teacher at Clara J. Peck Elementary School in Greensboro, NC.  Clara J. Peck Elementary is one of the Ready School grant sites.  She writes:

When I was first approached by Ms. Mallory about staggered entry and how it would be put into place at Peck this year I was very hesitant and I did not understand why we were doing it. I had a very hard time explaining to parents when I completed home visits before the start of school what the advantages would be of staggered entry. I was very hesitant about staggered entry because I did not like the idea of only a few students coming in each day and for our full days of regular Kindergarten not to start until the following week. I thought that it would make things very chaotic for me, the students, and the parents. After the first day of staggered entry I saw how beneficial it was to be able to have the one on one time with each student on their first day of school. I was able to get to know them personally and their academic level within the first day which usually doesn't happen until the first week or two of school. Even after the first day I was still worried that the first full day with all of them would be chaotic and that they would forget everything we tried to put into place that first day of school. After the first full day with all of the students I was surprised at how much they remembered from their first day and how easily the day went. Staggered entry allows those students who have never been in a school setting to ease into school and feel comfortable with their new environment. I now see how beneficial staggered entry can be for both the teacher and the student and I would recommend it to any school.