Recently, I had the opportunity to volunteer at my great-niece, Jaden’s, kindergarten class, in my old classroom in Coloma, Mich., with my former classmate, Angie Seabury, who has been teaching kindergarten for 26 (!) years.

It made me ponder all of the things that we learn in kindergarten that are still important today. A little fun for today’s column:

• Push in your chair when you leave the table
• Say please and thank you
• Don’t eat your snack until everyone is served
• Ask nicely when you have to go potty, but don’t wait until it’s too late to ask!
• Wait your turn
• Kindergarten teachers don’t have first names!
• Quiet voices are always a plus
• If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!
• Take time to rest (and rest time is very very nice for kindergarten teachers!)
• You should always know your school bus number if you want to get home on time
• Don’t kiss a boy who doesn’t want to be kissed! (Jaden!)
• Lock-down is very serious, and you should do exactly as your teacher tells you to do. (It was only a drill. And Susan was more scared than they were!)
• Six minutes is a very long time in the mind of a 5-year-old!
• Afternoon snacks are wonderful!
• Wash your hands with soap and water
• No cheating on games
• Be very nice to those not as fortunate as you are
• Share your blanket
• Hold hands when crossing the street
• Say hello to new friends who enter the room
• Say thank you to those who have come to visit
• We always need to take time to listen
• Pay attention to the words we use. They are very important to the listener.
• 1-2-3 eyes on me! For those of us multi-taskers it’s a very very important lesson! Pay attention to the here and now!
• Phonics are still good. “Listen and e-nun-ci-ate‚“ as my mother used to say.
• Take your sweater with you when you go outside, just in case.
• Hang your sweater up when you come back inside, so you can find it when you go home.
• Color within the lines, unless you can’t, and that’s cool, too.
• Blow your nose
• Write legibly, put your name on your paper, if you want to get credit for it
• Help your friend, when they need help, and if possible, hold their hand when you do it.
• Friends you make in kindergarten, can be friends for a lifetime!

Susan Bressler is an active member of a number of Renton organizations, including Piazza Renton. E-mail her at scbressler@comcast.net.