The Class of 2027 Is on Its Way

Last month as 18 students made their way into Kristen Tulp’s classroom to begin their first day of kindergarten at the John M. Marshall Elementary School in East Hampton, not a tear was shed, from either parent or child.

Chelsea Fromm was the first one in the door, promptly alerting her teacher that she had lost her first tooth only the night before.

Parents escorted their children into the room, helping them locate their cubbies, unzip their brand-new backpacks, and separate snacks from extra clothes (in case of accidents).

After parting ways, Ms. Tulp gathered the class for its first morning meeting on the rainbow-colored rug, a cornerstone of each day when songs are sung and the weather is carefully tabulated, when the days of the week and the months of the year are committed to memory through daily repetition.

“Dear Kindergarteners,” read Ms. Tulp, from a letter at the front of the room, as Darlene Rigby, an aide, stood nearby. “Welcome to your first day of school. How do you feel about starting school today? Happy? Excited? Nervous?”

Eager hands shot into the air.

“I was nervous,” said Taylor Baratta. “And a little sad.”

“I felt a little nervous,” said Chelsea.

“Me too,” said Clay Lynch.

“I felt super-duper happy,” said Liliana Hopson.

Ms. Tulp tabulated each student’s response, with feelings of nervousness far outweighing the others.

An announcement over the loudspeaker prompted students to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, most mumbling just a few words.

This marks Ms. Tulp’s 29th year in the classroom. At 49, the Connecticut native has more than 20 years of kindergarten experience. The youngest of her own three children is beginning his senior year at East Hampton High School. Her husband, James Tulp, teaches third grade at John Marshall.

Kindergarten is her passion, and she considers these the magic years — when students enter her classroom as blank slates, their personalities and interests just beginning to form.

The East Hampton Star will spend the school year embedded in Kristin Tulp’s kindergarten class at the John M. Marshall Elementary School, watching how the year takes shape for her young students. Over the coming months, a handful of children and their families from an array of different backgrounds will be profiled to illustrate the changing face of East Hampton through the lens of its public elementary school.

“Your child will be reading by the end of the year. That is a goal and expectation we have in kindergarten,” she said to a packed room of parents during last week’s open house. Turnout was strong, with only 5 of the 18 families absent. “Your child comes in scribbling and by the end they will be writing complete sentences. It’s an amazing journey from September until June.”

Since moving to East Hampton in 1987, Ms. Tulp has witnessed a rapid transformation — from a district that formerly enrolled a vast majority of white students to one where Spanish is increasingly the primary language spoken at home. In this year’s class, for instance, 10 of her 18 students have Latin American surnames. Within Ms. Tulp’s class, students whose families have called East Hampton home for generations will spend the year alongside recent transplants from different states or different countries.

According to the school’s state-issued report card (now three years old), John Marshall students are 47 percent Latino, 43 percent white, 6 percent black, 3 percent Asian, and 2 percent multiracial. And among students in kindergarten through fifth grade, a third of the student body qualifies for either a free or reduced-price lunch.

Ms. Tulp spends the first six weeks of school establishing the culture of the class — focusing on things like social skills, the importance of hand washing, and getting along with peers. Though in past years, formal academics weren’t tackled during the early weeks, this year, math and reading lessons are already underway.

“You have to have a solid foundation on how your classroom is going to run,” explained Ms. Tulp. “If I can’t get that in place, I can’t teach. We’re aiming for a well-oiled machine, but it takes a long time to get there. They’re 5. They forget.”

The dynamic is intense, with three separate lessons often occurring in the span of 40 minutes. For this reason, it’s not uncommon for substitute teachers to refuse a kindergarten placement. Ms. Tulp is always on, rarely sitting still, whether limiting the number of Oreos during snack time or spotting would-bedisciplinary problems before they escalate.

Since arriving at John Marshall, she has witnessed a change in family dynamics, with more families requiring two incomes to make ends meet. As a consequence, she has seen a decline in parental involvement, with children spending an increasing number of hours at school — given breakfast and lunch, in addition to participating in after-school programs that stretch into the early evening hours.

On Sept. 11, the flag outside John Marshall hung at half-staff. A moment of silence was observed, though Ms. Tulp’s class carried about its usual business, the 4 and 5-year-olds blissfully unaware of the planes that had struck the twin towers years before they were born.

After a hot lunch of chicken tacos and orange slices (about half opted to bring their own), the class tackled learning labs, or centers, where they rotated among an assortment of activities — whether art, drama, Play-Doh, or puzzles. Soon, talk turned to what they wanted to be when they grow up.

“I want to be a teacher,” said Olivia Chapman.

“I want to be a policeman,” said Chelsea.

“I want to be a painter,” said Sophia Herrera.

“I want to do carpentry, just like my dad,” said Ephraim Munoz.

“I want to be a monster truck driver,” said Clay.

Before dismissal, the class celebrated a birthday, with Grace King festooned in a pink-sequined tutu and matching sequined bow for her fifth birthday. Bite-size cupcakes and cookies, supplied by her parents, were passed out. After learning the hard way, Ms. Tulp now saves the sugary treats until the very end of the day.

By Sept. 18, picture day, children were already starting to get sick, with Sophia running a slight fever. Several of her classmates, including Madison Alvarez, battled runny noses.

Wearing a turquoise dress and black headband, Madison diligently worked on her math packet, counting the vertices, or intersection points, of various squares and triangles. Madison is 4 and her favorite color is pink. She loves eating pizza and wants to be a teacher when she grows up.

Her parents, Antonia and Fernando Alvarez, both attended last week’s open house. Antonia grew up in Long Beach, Calif. Mr. Alvarez, a native of Ecuador, relocated to the United States 12 years ago. The family has split its time between California, New Jersey, and Washington — moving where the contracting work was plentiful. They relocated to East Hampton two months ago, along with Isaac, their 2-year-old. Mr. Alvarez works as a property manager. Ms. Alvarez is a stay-at-home mother. “We were very hesitant of sending her to a classroom, but decided it’s better that she comes here and socializes with other kids,” said Ms. Alvarez. “We’re planning to stay here permanently and make this our home.”

On Sept. 22, the class sat in its morning circle as six of the children were out of the classroom receiving additional help with English. Ms. Tulp read aloud from a nonfiction book about feelings.

“It seems like just yesterday you were sitting here on your first day,” she said, prompting students to begin illustrated journal entries highlighting things that made them happy.

Olivia, 4, drew a picture of herself playing with her brother. She is the youngest of four children. Her favorite color is pink, and she loves eating cheese pizza. “I already know how to write,” she explained. “But I want to learn how to make more letters.” She has wavy blonde hair, interrupted by two bright pink streaks of color, procured over the summer.

Her mother, Abby Chapman, calls her a spitfire. “She’s the youngest and very determined. She knows what she likes and when she wants it,” said Ms. Chapman, who works as a secretary. Her husband, Adam Chapman, is an electrician. Both graduates of East Hampton High School, their families have “been here since the dirt was laid down,” said Ms. Chapman.

Meanwhile, Jake Calloway, 5, drew a picture of himself playing on the monkey bars, alongside Drew, his 7-year-old brother. He has a blonde buzz cut and blue eyes. A Batman T-shirt barely concealed two glitter tattoos from a weekend trip to Greenport. His favorite food is watermelon and mango. “I don’t know what I want to be yet,” he said, “But I want to learn how to paint.”

Nicole Calloway, his mother, is a speech and language pathologist at East Hampton High School, where she has worked for the past 10 years. Her husband, Ben Calloway, buys and sells wine to private clients. Growing up in Nassau County, Ms. Calloway spent summers in Springs and Montauk, visiting family. Her husband is from Iowa.

Sitting at the same table, Alonso Garcia, 5, drew a picture of himself playing soccer with his dad. His 15-year-old sister, Valentina Sanchez, also had Ms. Tulp. Whenever possible, the school pairs siblings with the same kindergarten teacher. Alonso has closely shorn brown hair and brown eyes. In between bites of a plum and sips of a yogurt drink, Alonso said he loves playing with Play-Doh. When he grows up, he said he’d prefer to simply “stay in my room and sleep.”

His mother, Adriana Garcia, emigrated from Colombia 18 years ago. Along with her mother and sister, the three women run Elegant Touch, a nail salon on Railroad Avenue in East Hampton. Her husband, Juan Garcia, also a native of Colombia, works as a painter. When it comes to Alonso’s future, she envisions college, though her son, for the time being, “dreams of playing soccer in a big stadium.”

Ephraim Munoz, 5, snacked on a container of raspberries. He has straight brown hair and brown eyes. He likes eating pizza and taking the bus home. Stung by a bee during a horse show over the summer, he said he doesn’t like being outside. “I don’t know how to read,” he said. “I want to learn about more animals like cheetahs and dinosaurs.”

His mother, Marci Vail, grew up in East Hampton. Her ancestors, Puritans from England, date back 13 generations. His father, Carlos Munoz, is originally from Ecuador. Having lived in the U.S. for most of his adult life, Mr. Munoz now works as a carpenter and handyman. Ms. Vail went through the East Hampton schools, has two master’s degrees, and formerly worked at the East Hampton Library. As born-again Christians, the family attends weekly church services.

One table over, Atilla Secim devoured a banana. Atilla, 5, was born in Turkey and most recently lived in Saudi Arabia. He speaks Turkish, Arabic, French, and English, though Turkish is spoken at home and is the language he prefers most. “Snack is my favorite part of the day,” he said, in between sips of chocolate milk. He also loves french fries. So far, he said, Jake is his closest friend.

Early in the summer, Atilla was nervous to start school, wondering whether his English-speaking classmates and teacher would be mean or nice. His mother, Ayse Secim, was born in Turkey but grew up in Forest Hills, Queens. She studied economics at Stony Brook University. Nearly 10 years ago she moved back to Turkey, where she met her husband, Murat Secim, who now works in textiles. The couple also has a younger son, 17-month-old Cengiz. The family recently relocated to East Hampton from Saudi Arabia, living in his sister’s summer house until they permanently establish themselves.

“We were so excited to come here,” said Ms. Secim, who had previously enrolled Atilla in private early childhood programs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, the only available options. “The opportunities for kids in this country are so much better than what we’ve seen so far.”