Pencils check. Snack check. Bundle of nerves ` check.
Incoming kindergartners across the region are preparing to enter the beginning of their school careers this September, and while the experience will certainly be new for them, it will also be new for many parents, teachers and school administrators as area schools implement a full-day program.
`I’m a little scared of kindergarten,` said Justin Andriola, 5, who will be attending Bradt Elementary School in the Mohonasen Central School District. `Making new friends is sometimes scary.`
His father, Tom Andriola, who is also a Mohonasen Board of Education member, thinks that his son will be just fine when it comes to making the adjustment ` and that includes making new friends.
`I think it’s great,` said Andriola said of the transition from a half-day program to full day. `I think he’s at the age where he’s soaking up information like a sponge, and I think moving to full-day kindergarten is going to give him the opportunity to be able to learn as much as he can at an early age that will hopefully help him out down the road.`
Andriola said his son has been in daycare on a full-day basis since he was 6 months old, so he isn’t worried about the length of the school day, which will be about seven hours as opposed to the average three-hour half-day program it’s replacing.
`I know there are parents that have concerns about that,` said Andriola.
However, there are programs in place to help the students adjust to a full day of instruction and activity.
`I think that the plan is that it’s going to be a lot less of a squeeze for time for any particular thing,` said Andriola. `There’s going to be times for sort of downtime in the early afternoon and things like that that will hopefully help the kids to adjust.`
Andriola said that he is trying to calm Justin’s nerves with lots of reassurance and encouragement.
`Obviously it will be a little intimidating for a child that young, but I think that between parents and the teachers, they’re going to make it as comfortable as they can for these kids,` said Andriola. `As parents, it’s a change for us too, and we all have to figure it out together.`
Hayden McGarry, 5, will be entering kindergarten this year at Jefferson Elementary School, which is part of the Schalmont Central School District. He said he’s looking forward to the move.
`[I’m] excited about everything ` yes,` said McGarry.
His mother, Debbie McGarry, said that she thinks having more time for instruction will be beneficial.
`I’m a stay-at-home mom, so to have him go full-day and have him learn more and have more interaction with children is better than, ‘I’m getting on the bus, going to school, turning around and coming home,’` said McGarry.
She said that with the half-day program it seemed like by the time the kids got to school it was practically time to go home.
Diane McIver, principal of Bradt Elementary School, said that the program has `been a long time coming.`
`We are absolutely thrilled and excited beyond belief to be starting with full-day kindergarten,` said McIver.
She said that the teachers in her school have spent a lot of time working on their classrooms and spent the second half of the year revising their curriculum maps and planning calendars to reflect all that they can do with a full-day program.
`We’re having a ball getting the classrooms ready and putting together the kitchens and dramatic play areas, and the teachers have been very involved in ordering what we needed,` said McIver.
Sara Fenton is making two transitions this year ` first she is starting in a new school district, second, she is going to be teaching full-day kindergarten at Bradt, as opposed to half-day kindergarten, for the first time. She can’t wait to have more contact time with her students.
`When it was a half-day program, by the time they came in unpacked, did morning meeting, had their snack and playtime, it was time to go,` said Fenton.
`I didn’t have much contact with them. I’m really excited to have that opportunity to get into things with them more and do projects and themes,` said Fenton.
She said that to combat potential fatigue among students and to make them as comfortable as possible, she and other teachers have been talking about having a `relaxing read time` after lunch, where they can sit back for a little while and look at books or rest their heads if they have to.
In order to make the transition easier, Fenton said, kindergarten orientation will occur on the first day of school so students can come into the building and get used to things for the first time with their parents.
`They have that little transition, rather than being dropped off and spending the whole day here, I think that’s really good about students having the jitters about coming to school for the first time,` said Fenton.
She said that the first few weeks of school will be about establishing routine and learning how to be good listeners.
`I am 29 years old, and I did full-day-K back in the day so I’m excited to see more schools in the area implementing the program,` said Fenton.
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