HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-11-03, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2011. Preschool peer pressure means
most parents are using every day of
the full-day Kindergarten programs
at the Avon Maitland District School
Board (AMDSB).
Primary curriculum co-ordinator
Jodi Regier told trustees at their Oct.
25 meeting that “pretty much all”
parents in the seven AMDSB
schools running the program are
sending their kids everyday.
“Usually parents are responding to
pressures from their kids,” said
Regier, explaining that many
children want to see their friends and
don’t want to miss out on activities
taking place on days they aren’t
there.
“Very few parents do not send
their kids all year,” said
superintendent of education
(curriculum) Kim Black.
Regier and facilities officer Laurel
Mitchell gave the board an update on
the AMDSB early learning full-day
Kindergarten program and extended
day programs. Two years into the
programs’ five-year rollout, 385
students are attending full-day
kindergarten at seven AMDSB
schools: Clinton, Downie, Howick,
Milverton, Romeo, Goderich, and
Hensall.
Regier explained some of the
benefits from the Ministry of
Education’s five-year rollout
requirement, describing full-day
Kindergarten as a “massive cultural
shift” that could’ve resulted in a
“mass exodus” from local daycares
if not introduced gradually.
Regier said that besides
professional development for
teachers and early childhood
educators, the AMDSB is also
creating resources for parents and
educators. Brochures and a video of
“a day in the life” of a full-dayKindergarten student will beavailable at Early Years Centres and“Calling All Three-Year-
Olds”(CATYO) registrations.
Meanwhile, a training video is
being developed for principals,
municipalities and third-party
providers on expectations,
responsibilities, family
communication and safe schools.
Regier and Mitchell also explained
to trustees the timeline for
determining the feasibility of before-
and after-school programs for four-
and five-year-olds at different
locations. Regier said the AMDSB
determines the number of incoming
Junior and Senior Kindergarten
students through surveys and at
CATYO registrations. She added
that CATYO itself was a cultural
shift and faced some resistance from
parents who thought three years old
was too early to begin registering
their children for Junior
Kindergarten.
Once numbers have been
gathered, the board posts the status
of proposed before- and after-school
programs on the first day after the
holiday break in January. The board
contacts possible third-party
providers, who then complete a
second viability check. Occasionally
families have decided to drop out
by the time the second viability
check is made and the program
must be cancelled, as happened this
year at Howick Central Public
School.
Currently, Clinton and Goderich
Public Schools offer extended day
programs for their Kindergarten
students. Both programs are run by
the Clinton Co-operative Childcare
Centre.
Full-day learning will be coming
to the Kindergarten classes of Avon,
Hamlet, Little Falls and Seaforth
Public Schools, as well as the newMaitland River Elementary School,next September.In 2013, the program will roll out to Brookside, Central Perth, ElmaTownship, Grey Central, HullettCentral, Huron Centennial,Shakespeare, Sprucedale and Stephen Central Public Schools.The remainder of AMDSBelementary schools will beginoffering the program in 2014.Full-day Kindergarten highly used through board
A creepy crawl
Students at Blyth Public School swallowed their fear and crawled through a dark and scary
tunnel on Oct. 28 only to emerge to their Student (costumed) Council and other students doing
their best to make their Halloween a real scream. Shown are, from left: Kathryn Chalmers,
Chantal Van Schaik, Jenna McDonald and Ben Stewart. (Denny Scott photo)
By Rita MarshallSpecial to The Citizen