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Gearing up for more Full-Day Kindergarten in Bluewater District
By myFM News staff

Education

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To ensure schools are ready to welcome more students with full-day Kindergarten, funding will be provided for additions that may be needed for new Kindergarten space and any other minor renovations as needed. 

Bluewater District School Board Superintendent of Elementary Education Marnie Coke says the funding will be going toward additional teaching staff, additional classrooms and alterations to school buildings to make room for the added students.

Recently information has been released from the Progressive Conservative opposition in the Ontario Legislature saying that if the Conservatives win the Oct. 6 election then they would re-examine expansion of the Full-Day Kindergarten program. 

Coke says she hopes that any provincial government would see the benefits that all-day Kindergarten provides.

"Children who are in our new (Full Day Kindergarten) program are showing that they have adapted to school extremely well and far more quickly than students in our current format of a program attending every other day," says Coke. 

"With increased consistently in the program, children have learned their routines in class far more quickly. The gains in student achievement are tremendous because of the consistency and teachers finding they don't have to re-teach some parts of their program at all."

 The government estimates that by 2012, 120,000 children will be in school full time.

 In Huron-Bruce, about 955 four- and five-year-olds will benefit from the program in September, 2012, says MPP Carol Mitchell.

Eighteen local schools will start to offer full-day Kindergarten then. They are the next step toward the full implementation of the program by September, 2014.

Joining the ranks in 2012 are:

  • Brant Township Central School, Walkerton
  • Mother Teresa School, Walkerton
  • North Huron Public School, Wingham
  • Northport Elementary School, Port Elgin
  • Sacred Heart School, Teeswater
  • Sacred Heart School, Mildmay
  • Seaforth Public School, Seaforth
  • St. Joseph’s School, Port Elgin
  • St. James Catholic School, Seaforth
  • Walkerton Public School, Walkerton

 

These schools are in addition to the 11 local schools that will offer the program this fall. Parents can visit Ontario.ca\EarlyLearning to find out which local schools will be offering the full-day Kindergarten this fall.“I know so many local families who are benefiting from full-day Kindergarten this year," says Mitchell. "Every year, even more children and their families are going to have access to this innovative new program, giving them a stronger start and a better chance for future success.” 

Full-day kindergarten is currently available at seven local schools, including Kincardine Township-Tiverton Public School..

The Ontario government has allocated $420 million to help schools make room for full-day Kindergarten.

 
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Saturday, March 12, 2011