Gatesville Primary kindergartners celebrate graduation before first grade

Families filled the Gatesville High School auditorium as Gatesville Primary kindergartners took part in a ceremony that marked their first school graduation and the start of first grade ahead. Principal Van Collins welcomed parents and loved ones as the children crossed the stage, turning a small campus milestone into a shared community moment for Gatesville families.

The students then performed two songs, First Grade, First Grade, set to the tune of New York, New York, and Dynamite, adding energy to a celebration that carried more weight than a photo opportunity. After the musical presentations, teachers handed out diplomas, underscoring that Gatesville Primary treats the transition from kindergarten as a real rite of passage. For children still at the beginning of their school careers, the ceremony gave them a chance to practice confidence, stage presence and public celebration in front of the people who know them best.

That sense of occasion fits a campus that serves prekindergarten through kindergarten at 308 Hornet Way in Gatesville and describes itself as a place “Where little kids learn big things.” Gatesville Primary is part of Gatesville Independent School District, a five-campus system serving Coryell County. The district office is at 311 S. Lovers Lane in Gatesville.

The broader district context helps explain why early milestones matter here. Gatesville ISD reports 2,656 total students, 204.3 full-time teachers and a student-teacher ratio of 13 to 1. The district’s attendance rate is 94.2%, and its overall Texas School Report Cards rating is a C with a score of 78 out of 100. Gatesville Primary received a B rating on Texas Tribune’s Schools Explorer, while the district’s 2024 on-time graduation rate was 93.1%.

Collins, who became principal at Gatesville Primary for the 2023-24 school year after serving as assistant principal at Gatesville Intermediate School, has worked in Gatesville ISD since 2010. He previously said he wanted to build relationships, support staff and immerse himself in the campus’s academic programs. His welcome at the kindergarten graduation reflected that approach, tying school leadership to the families gathered in the auditorium and to the early years that shape the district’s long path from prekindergarten to graduation.