The first day of school is always a momentous occasion for kindergartners and their families, but for students in the Bethlehem Central School District this school year was particularly special.
Nearly 300 students across six elementary schools started the district’s first full-day kindergarten program on Thursday, Sept. 10, bringing several years of planning to culmination. They started a day after the rest of students, but parents and kindergartners came in on Wednesday for a special orientation.
The kids seemed happy to be here today, and we’re certainly thrilled to begin the full-day kindergarten program, said Assistant Superintendent Jody Monroe. `A half-day program for years served the students and community well, but a half-day program is certainly limited in time to the amount you can accomplish.`
Kindergartners will have physical education, arts and music added to their curriculum, and will also enjoy more time spent on core programming in math, science and English skills.
Kindergarten teacher Nancy Davis said that she’s glad the district has made the move to full-day K, as it will give her more opportunities for instruction during an important period in her students’ development.
`You want to go into depth and have time for them to create their own knowledge rather than having us just telling them,` said Davis, who has been teaching kindergarten in the district for 13 years.
She’ll also have more time to help her students with learning social skills like making friends and resolving conflicts. Once again, she said, it’s important they cement good social habits early on.
`This is their first experience in a public school, and you want it to be positive,` Davis said.
`I think it’s very important that they have the time to socialize and play. Everything isn’t crammed into a half day,` parent Meg Noonan, whose 5-year-old son, Grady, just started kindergarten, said at a brunch for parents and siblings of kindergartners at Elsmere Elementary on Thursday morning.
Sara Rosenblatt, parent of 5-year-old Ben, said Wednesday’s orientation and a building tour in the spring worked well to make the transition easier for the young learners.
`The school did a fantastic job getting the kids ready,` she said. `It’s very casual, which brings the kids in at ease.`
According to educational authorities, including the state Board of Regents, full-day kindergarten reaps educational advantages for children. There are few who can’t handle the time span, as well, since many kids have been in full-day daycare or preschool prior to the public school.
The state has been encouraging schools to move to full-day kindergarten programming for some time, and is offering grant opportunities based on enrollment figures and need-based aid formulas to help effect the transition. Monroe said the district expects to receive about $750,000 at the end of the year when enrollment figures are finalized, and it should cover the entire cost of expanding kindergarten.
`We anticipate we won’t use all of that because the number of sections we anticipated was lower,` she added.
Local districts assume any costs associated with continuing full-day kindergarten, but many schools in the Capital District have taken advantage of the aid to make the switch a low-impact one. Guilderland, South Colonie and Mohonasen started programs this year, and Ballston Spa schools made the switch last September.
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