Quincy school reports on all-day kindergarten

QUINCY - Quincy School District introduced all-day kindergarten this year, and one of its schools reported the program is working out well.

Mountain View Elementary School Principal Kathie Brown and kindergarten teachers spoke about the program at a school board meeting Tuesday. Afterward, board members toured the school's kindergarten classrooms.

Mountain View and George Elementary School are the two schools in the district offering all-day kindergarten. They are the only schools in the district with kindergarten students.

In Spring 2007, Mountain View had several concerns about the change, Brown said. Staff wondered how the day would be structured, how results would be measured and maximized, how logistics would be handled, including lunch and playground supervision, how to handle students attending only half-day kindergarten and how to bring new staff on board in a short period of time.

"We did a lot of planning, these (teachers) took in a lot of extra time to plan and collaborate," Brown said. "Right now we have a solid schedule, which includes 90 minutes of math, 90 minutes of reading, 45 minutes of our reading intervention, library, music, P.E., enrichment in science, and 55-minute recess daily."

When students started school in September, 77 percent were below grade-level in letter-naming fluency.

"So that has been our main focus, and we don't have the results yet as to how they will be doing," she said.

She noted 77 percent is a normal number for performance at the beginning of the year.

The school is going to continue to work on having children arrive ready for kindergarten, which can be done by building relationships with preschools and early childhood programs, Brown said.

Kindergarten teacher Jody Stadelman said she believes the program is going to benefit students and teachers.

Stadelman said now she doesn't feel overwhelmed with making sure students meet state standards, but not having enough time with students.

"Now we have time to work with the students," Stadelman said.

When asked by the board if students become tired with all-day kindergarten, teacher Lila Schwint said, "At the beginning of the year, it was an adjustment."

Schwint would turn down the lights after lunch, read to students and tell them they could lie down. Afterward, students would resume their learning activities.

District Superintendent Burton Dickerson said all-day kindergarten was a new venture for the district, and there was some uncertainty surrounding the change.

"It sounds like you're doing a great job," Dickerson said.