What I learned in kindergarten …

The Herald interviewed longtime teacher Fran Kohn before she retires this semester. She has been a kindergarten teacher at Centre Avenue School in East Rockaway for 30 years. She is married with a son, a daughter and two grandchildren.

Herald: What are some of your fondest memories at Centre?
Fran Kohn: All the little people – the students — who have come into Room 5, that I had the privilege of teaching. I began working here at Centre Avenue in 1982 when kindergarten was only a half-day program. I was asked by the school board and superintendent to do some research to develop and setup a full day kindergarten program — and I did!” It has been a great joy of mine to see the full day program grow and flourish.

H: What will you miss the most?
FK: Oh, the little people and the big people! I love watching the children grow, conquer and accomplish, and then graduate.

H: What are your future plans?
I plan to volunteer to teach adults how to read and write. It’s amazing — I’ve spent 30 years of my life teaching 5 and 6-year-olds how to read and write and now I will be teaching adults! It’s been a longtime dream of mine.

REMEMBERING A UNIQUE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER ...