The Glastonbury HouseHunter

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Glastonbury Full Day Kindergarten...Worth the Wait!

Glastonbury Full Day Kindergarten….Worth the Wait.

After much research and input from both the parents and education council, Glastonbury has decided to offer full day K for all students. This is effective for the 2012 school year. Parents are shouting from the rooftops, “It’s about time”! Our schools have come such a long way in regards to technology; why not adapt a program more conducive to our children learning more? I don’t see how our K students in Glastonbury can learn all that much in two hours. It puts unnecessary time constraints on our teachers. Once everyone gets settled, has reading time and some social play, it’s back on the school bus for them. A full day enriches their learning and allows them to get a jump start on reading skills.

Currently, 56% of Connecticut school systems offer full day kindergarten to students. The overall budgeted costs to add the full day option is $490,000. Ouch! That’s going to hurt us in our taxpaying wallets. Apparently the costs will be offset by some moving and shifting of teachers due to a reduced elementary enrollment in recent years. Class sizes will remain the same and each school does have enough room to justify additional classrooms.

Glastonbury has 6 Elementary schools: Hebron Avenue, Eastbury, Hopewell, Naubuc, Buttonball and the newest addition: Nayaug. The fact that the schools are considered some of the best in Hartford County doesn’t hurt. There is a real sense of community here; somewhere that you want to move and never leave. Even though my youngest will be moving on to first grade this year and it won’t affect us, I’m happy for all the families out there that it will help. Think of the many that pay for full time daycare. Instantly, they’ll save thousands. In this day and age of intense school competition, it helps to know your child will most likely leave with a positive experience and a level 2 reading book in their backpack.