Getting Ready for School (video)

Getting Ready for School is a 1987 Sesame Street direct-to-video compilation in the "My Sesame Street Home Video" series.

Segments

Image	Segment	Description
	FRAME 1	Big Bird, self-proclaimed school expert, is going to give the viewer the scoop on school (from what he's learned from his three days in school). Before he starts, he confesses that he was afraid of going to school and not knowing anything. He recalls seeing the alphabet inside, then recalls a time when he mistook the alphabet for something else...
	Insert	Big Bird sings "ABC-DEF-GHI." (First: Episode 2266) Edited
	FRAME 1 cont'd	Big Bird now explains that not only will you see the alphabet, but numbers too!
	Cartoon	A peacock counts twenty feathers on his tail. (First: Episode 0406)
	FRAME 2	Next, Big Bird displays signs that will be around the school, like "SCHOOL," "EXIT," and "BUS STOP."
	Cartoon	A man sets up a bus stop sign so that a giant can eat the buses that come. (First: Episode 1176)
	Cartoon	A honking orange ball follows signs to the EXIT. (First: Episode 1879)
	Muppets	Anything Muppets cheer for school. Part 1
	FRAME 3	Big Bird mentions something else from his days in school: there will be kids you already know, and kids you don't.
	Muppets	The Count sings about his first day of school. (First: Episode 1736)
	FRAME 4	Big Bird has set up a model school room in the yard, with Snuffy and the kids as students. Big Bird asks his class for a rhyme for "hat," but they all answer at once. He explains that in classrooms, students must raise their hand and will be called on. Snuffy raises his snuffle in lieu of a hand... but unfortunately doesn't know the answer.
	Muppets	Teacher Little Chrissy sings about how important it is to "Raise Your Hand." (First: Episode 1959)
	FRAME 5	Big Bird reiterates that you'll see the alphabet in school.
	Film	Children on a playground form the letters of the alphabet. (First: Episode 1966)
	Muppets	Anything Muppets cheer for school. Part 2
	FRAME 6	Snuffy shares something he learned from Snufflegarden - it's okay to make mistakes. The duo then sings "Everyone Makes Mistakes." After the song, Big Bird and Snuffy can't remember if Big Bird had mentioned the alphabet being in school before...
	Animation	The alphabet is presented using many materials and writing methods. (First: Episode 2210)
	Muppets	Anything Muppets cheer for school. Part 3
	FRAME 7	Big Bird tells a secret: sometimes kids have trouble putting on their coats. He narrates as Ani demonstrates how she puts her coat on herself with a special trick: putting it on the ground, sticking her arms in the sleeves, and pulling it over her head. Big Bird claims that by watching the next segment, the viewer can learn to tie their shoes, too.
	Muppets / Cast	"Dandy David" sings a song about tying shoelaces as Herry watches. Herry then asks David to tie the laces on all the shoes in his shoe collection. (First: Episode 1574)
	FRAME 8	Big Bird has Snuffy apply the lesson by having him tie his sneakers, which is accomplished by Snuffy blowing through his snuffle (and a reverse tape edit). Big Bird thinks of what he hasn't taught, when Snuffy reminds him of the alphabet.
	Muppets	Muppet & Kid Moment — Grover and Polly say the alphabet. (First: Episode 0281)
	FRAME 9	Big Bird thanks the viewer for watching, and requests they send a letter to him once they learn how to write in school. Just as the theme music starts, he asks if he's forgotten the alphabet.

Releases

VHSRandom House Home Video
(with activity book)
1987
cat. 88936

VHSRandom House Home Video
1992
reissue cover

United Kingdom (VHS)The Video Collection
1988
Double feature with Bedtime Stories & Songs

Australia (VHS)1992
VDI

Singapore and Malaysia (VCD)Berjaya HVN
1998
561003

UK (VHS)1999
Walt Disney Home Video
Double feature with Sing Yourself Sillier at the Movies

Japan (VHS)Sony

Booklet

Scans of the activity book from the original VHS release.

Cast

• Starring Jim Henson's Sesame Street Muppets:
  • with Caroll Spinney as Big Bird
  • Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Martin P. Robinson, Kevin Clash, Pam Arciero, Bryant Young, David Rudman, Caroly Wilcox, Cheryl Blaylock, Camille Bonora, Ed Christie, Michael Huston, Jim Kroupa, Brian Muehl, Kathryn Mullen

• Northern Calloway as David

Note: Although they don't actually appear in the video, the credits erroneously list Linda Bove as Linda, Bob McGrath as Bob, Sonia Manzano as Maria, and Alaina Reed Hall as Olivia.

Credits

• Executive Producer: Jon Stone
• Directed by Jon Stone
  • Lisa Simon, Emily Squires (archive material)
• Writers: Jon Stone, Cathi Rosenberg
  • Emily Kingsley, Jeffrey Moss (archive material)
• Songs by Emily Kingsley, Jeffrey Moss, Lee Pockriss, Joe Raposo

See also

• Getting Ready for School (album)
• On My Way with Sesame Street Volume 3: Getting Ready for School
• Sesame Street: Ready for School!