Last Wednesday, April 24, the class of 2024 went to say Howdy to the class of 2036. The Kindergarten class had their annual Kindergarten Rodeo. This is the 55th year of the rodeo. From barrel racing to bull riding, the little Kindergarteners did it all.
Dan Bloch H’06, retired Middle School Science teacher, has been part of the rodeo since it started in 1969. He plays the banjo for all of the songs. Even though he retired, he still makes it a priority to be at the Kindergarten rodeo every single year. He now comes in every other month to the Kindergarten building and teaches the Kindergarteners a science lesson or two.
Melinda Miller was a former teacher at Fort Worth Country day and she and Bloch worked together to form the fun and exciting production for the kindergarten class.
The Kindergarten class practices their songs and performance for weeks in music class. They sing “Oh I am a Cowboy,” “The Star Spangled Banner,” “I am a Texas Star,” and “Deep in the Heart of Texas.”
“My favorite part of the Kindergarten rodeo is that the Kindergarteners think it is the real rodeo and they participate like they are in the actual grand entry or an announcer. They really practice leadership roles,” Kindergarten teacher Cynthia Reyes said.
There are many roles that can be given for the rodeo. There are the announcers who stand at the front by the microphones and announce what is next and what song is being sung. The next job is the grand entry. A group of students will ride in on their horse and hold up flags while the rest of the rodeo crew rides their horses through. They will then stand and hold the flags for the National Anthem. There are also clowns who are in charge of sitting in the buckets and distracting the bronc riders.
“I was not here in Kindergarten so I had never seen the rodeo, and it was so fun getting to watch the Kindergarteners perform for us,” Margaret Watler ’24 said.
For the past few years, on one of their last few days at FWCD, the seniors reminisce on their Kindergarten days and watch the rodeo. The seniors match the Kindergarteners in their best western wear and enjoy coming to watch, as a lot of them participated in the rodeo when they were in Kindergarten. It is a memory for many from their early days at FWCD, and many enjoy seeing it in a new perspective with a new group of Kindergarteners.
“I participated in the Kindergarten rodeo and it was fun getting to watch it as a senior and see all the fun tricks the Kindergarteners had for us,” Grayson Matthews ‘24 said.
The Kindergarteners love to sing in front of the seniors and show them their cool tricks they could do on their horses and bulls.
The Kindergarten rodeo used to happen in January or February during the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo but it soon changed to happening in April because of Covid. It has remained in April since Covid and it is also a good time for the seniors to be able to watch, as their last year at FWCD comes to an end.
The rodeo used to have two different performances with two classes in each. Now the rodeo is all four classes and is one big and fun show.
