At P.S. 41, College Planning Begins in Pre-K - SchoolBook Rows of giggling schoolchildren galloped in place, pretending to ride a pony. They lifted their arms up, pumped their elbows down and cheered: "Ahhhhh, yeah!" The silly jig at Public School 41 New Dorp in Staten Island was intended to celebrate an important decision the children had just made. They were going to college - even the prekindergarteners. Because of a new program the elementary school launched earlier this month, the "C" word will be used a lot more within the school's walls, said Elise Feldman, the principal. The program teaches students about the importance of getting a college education. "We're helping them fulfill a dream," Ms. Feldman said of the school, which is located in New Dorp, a middle-class, blue-collar neighborhood. The school has to motivate the students to be the best they can be, not because the teacher says so, but because they want to do it for themselves. Recently, the city Department of Education began analyzing college readiness in high schools as part of the schools" progress reports. Ms. Feldman, however, said preparation for college should begin even sooner, with motivational and financial strategies for making it happen. Through a partnership with PENCIL, an organization that builds relationships between public schools and private businesses, the school garnered financial support from business owners across Staten Island for events they hope will get the school's 700 students enthused about college. On Monday, Ben Kaplan, a college admissions expert who served as the day's guest speaker, tried to energize children in every grade with an interactive presentation called "College Is Awesome." Mr. Kaplan, tall and animated, had a rock-star attitude that had the students engaged from the moment he walked through the door. "Speaking about college makes me so excited," he said. You know what it makes me want to do? Give high fives. Who wants to give me a high five? As he ran around the auditorium, the children leaped out of their chairs, hands extended. "College was an incredible place," Mr. Kaplan said. I would meet cool people from all over the world. One of my roommates - he was from Peru. He then went through a slide show of celebrities, such as Adam Sandler, Emma Watson and President Obama, and talked about the colleges they attended. He said college could help the students attain any career goal. Mr. Kaplan, who is not affiliated with the popular test preparation company, is a Harvard graduate who has written 12 books and C.D.s on planning for college. He said this was the first time he had addressed such a young audience, and that his goal was to encourage students not to worry about how smart they are relative to their peers, but to know they can shape their futures by deciding to go to college. "It's about giving them a sense of how this is related to life," he said. When you're choosing whether to play video games or do your homework, or you don't like a teacher, you know there's a purpose. The college message is important, but it's a bigger message about learning. Parents who saw another presentation by Mr. Kaplan - this one focused on paying for college - said it was rare to hear of an elementary school thinking so far ahead, but that it was a relief to have a partner in getting their children to feel passionate about higher education. "You have to plant the seed when they're young," said Marybeth Imsho, 44, whose daughter, Jia Li, is in second grade. We learned a lot today about how to talk to our kids about college without making them feel overwhelmed. Ms. Feldman, the principal, said she hoped her efforts would supplement initiatives the school already had in place, including Student of the Month, Honor Roll and Rising Stars, and that considering college as a goal would inspire the children in everyday learning. The school received a C on its last progress report. "It aligns with the Common Core standards," she said. What do kids need? They need to come to school every day, listen to their teachers and do their homework with fidelity, not mediocrity. If I can motivate just one struggling student or one high-performing student, it was well worth the effort. In the coming months, the school plans to: Take students on a tour of the College of Staten Island. • Host a career day, when parents and members of the community will talk to the students about their jobs. • Infuse the curriculum with children's books, like "Mahalia Mouse Goes to College," by John Lithgow, and "Judy Moody Goes to College" by Megan McDonald. • Encourage teachers to talk about their college experiences and bring in photographs of themselves from their graduations. • Give students virtual tours of college campuses using the Internet. • Ask students to think about what career they might want to pursue, and reflect on what they have learned about college. P.S. 41 parents, students: You can blog about your experiences on P.S. 41′s SchoolBook school page. Some parents have already commented on the financial planning program. Join the conversation.