It was the last first day of school for many aspiring educators at Capital Region BOCES, though they will have many first school days in their future.

Seniors in Jessica Quackenbush’s Early Childhood Education program located at Schoharie Elementary School took time out of their busy first day of classes on Sept. 10 to pose for a traditional first day photo and talk about their plans.

“After graduation I will go to SUNY Cobleskill for Early Childhood Development, said  Caylee Faulkner, who attends BOCES from Cobleskill-Richmondville (CRCS).

“As far as this  school year, I am excited to move on to a new chapter in my life and prepare for college,” she said.

Fellow Cobleskill student Payton Schuyler is preparing to work with the youngest of students.

“I want to be a Head Start Teacher,” she said, expressing excitement for upcoming work-based learning experience in a local Head Start classroom.

The Early Child Education program is offered in Schoharie Elementary School and on the Albany Campus.

Besides Schuyler and Faulkner, seniors enrolled in the Schoharie Early Childhood program (shown in above photo) include:  Brianna Bailey, Duanesburg, Chloe Cataldo, Schalmont, Brianna Del Pozzo, Guilderland, Tierney Morehouse, Schalmont, Anilah O’Brien, Berne-Knox-Westerlo (BKW), Kilie Palmatier, CRCS, Grace Tommell, BKW.

Students in the two-year program learn the basics of child development and build a solid foundation in classroom arrangement, management and curriculum development for infants/toddlers/preschoolers and young children. Students also learn how to communicate and work with parents and staff in an educational setting. An on-site childcare center provides hands-on work-based learning opportunities for students in the program.