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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-12-02, Page 9GODERICH PLACE RETIREMENT RENTAL REWARDS Page 8 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, December 2, 2009 Questions abound as full-day Kindergarten nears phase one Stew Slater__ for the signal -star Details continue to trickle out about the September, 2010 phase one roll-out of the provincial Education Ministry's full-day, every -day programming for four and five -year-olds. But as those details emerge, and school boards delve more deeply into how they will deliver the initiative, nu- merous questions also emerge. Trustees of the Huron -Perth Cath- olic District School Board received an update on the ini- tiative at a regular meeting Monday, Nov. 23. "This is be- ing presented (by the Ministry) as a five-year plan," explained liter- acy coordinator Dawne 'Boersen. On Oct. 27, board - by -board funding commitments were announced for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years. Beyond that, Boersen said, "we don't really have any information On December 6th, 1989 14 WOMEN were killed in Montreal Join us in Remembering Sunday December 6, 2009 4:30 p.m. South Street Steps, Court House Park "First We Mourn, Then We Work for Change" Goderich Place RETIREMENT RESIDENCE RETIREMENT LIFE 5. LIMITED TIME OFFER! $200,00 Ic�NTHYFJa1RL1( • 6 Units Only • Studios and Onc bedrooms RESLR\ ATK)N RUA. 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According to Boersen, that amounts to roughly 15 per cent of the board's Kin- dergarten enrolment — in keeping with the funding allotments for other boards across the province. Applications for that funding must be submitted by Friday, Nov. 27, with the Huron -Perth board hoping to hear confirmation from the Ministry some time in January. But after the Nov. 23 meeting, Boersen said the board had not yet determined which sites would be included in that application. She cited a series of factors that boards have been asked to consider, including a minimal need for capital investment, a high likelihood that the host school will remain open, a scarcity of existing childcare services in the community, and less -than -satisfactory results from the school in standardized tests According to education superinten- dent JoAnn MacGregor, the Ministry also expects some consultation with community stakeholders. "Boards should try to assess the level of readi- ness in the schools and the communi- ties for implementation," she said. Wherever the sites are approved across the province, the programming will take a similar form: a combination between school board -style Kindergar- ten curriculum and daycare -style Early Childhood Education (ECE) expertise. Programming will begin at 7 a.m. and run through 6 p.m. According to Boersen's presentation. one ECE will be in the classroom from 7-11 a.m. They will be joined at 9 a.m. by a Kindergarten teacher. After 11 a.m., the first ECE will complete their time and be replaced by a second ECE. At 3 p.m. the Kindergarten teacher will leave and the second ECE will remain until 6 p.m. "The three adults will be a team," Boersen said. "The extended learning program (outside the regular 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. school day) will tie in to what's happening during the school day . . . Veltbeek's ramiaGarden Centre Christmas Trees are Here! Pine & Fraser Fir, Bows, Curly & Red Dogwood Branches, Cedar Rope $3199 for 75 ft. 22 Isaac St., Clinton 519-482-9333 It's a different program from the Kin- dergarten program we're running now. The main goal will be to ease those transitions." At a demonstration pilot project in London, the board's literacy coordi- nator reported, students "didn't really notice whether it was the ECE or the Kindergarten teacher. The adults in the room worked together to make it seam- less for the kids." Outside of regular school hours, par- ticipation is not mandatory. And fund- ing is not universal. Subsidization will be available, on a sliding scale based on each family's needs, in much the same way as support is currently avail- able for municipally -administered Best Start childcare programming. "Parents know what's best for their children," Boersen said to reporters, when asked if parents should be con- cerned about their child missing out if they don't take part in the extended - hours programming. "No child has to be there from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. "But what it does is provide a range of options for parents that haven't nec- essarily been available to them in the past." Questions, however, remain. "We haven't been in the practice of collecting money from the parents for programs," Boersen reminded trustees. "That information (about how that will happen) is still yet to come from the Ministry." She said board administrators are also wondering how to ensure a smooth transition from existing childcare ser- vices, especially contracted -out ver- sions, "so that we don't wipe out the livelihoods (of private providers) in one fell swoop." And potential border -crossing re- quests are also a concern, with the year -one and year -two implementation expected only in a few sites. Recently, Boersen and McGregor at- tended the first of a series of sessions with the Education Ministry about the initiative. Boersen said school board administrators presented approximately 150 questions. "(Ministry officials) are fielding a lot of questions and they're doing a good job," she commented. Huron -Perth CHEW, Aid Soai ty Help Children from Your Community For Information Call the Huron -Perth Children's Aid Society Huron County: Deanie Jardine at 519-524-7356 or 1-800-265-5198 Perth County: Vy Waller at 519-271-5290 or 1800-668-5094 FOSTER FAMILIES NEEDED FOR SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN!