Bonac’s Youngest Graduates

The future class of 2030 graduated Friday morning from the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center in East Hampton. The students were the 20th class to graduate from the center.

Donning white caps and gowns, 58 pint-size graduates sang songs, much to the delight of family members as well as town and school officials, including East Hampton Town Board members Sylvia Overby and Peter Van Scoyoc, and New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. Smiles were in abundance among the attendees, who erupted into applause when the rising kindergartners sang with gusto, “Kindergarten, here we come, here we come!”

East Hampton Village Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr. congratulated the youngsters and declared, “The world is truly their oyster. As a community, we support them and hope they will achieve their every goal.”

Diplomas and red carnations were handed out by Richard Burns, the East Hampton School District superintendent, and Beth Doyle, the principal at the John M. Marshall Elementary School, where many of the graduates will begin kindergarten in September.

The nonprofit center provides the full-day prekindergarten program for children in the East Hampton School District and also offers early education programs for children from 18 months to 3 years old.