Updates
November 3, 2014
The administration has acknowledged the volume of interest regarding the half day kindergarten proposal. I am currently coordinating with the school board office to place this agenda item on the schedule for the next public meeting.
7 Comments
There is also the opportunity to recruit students from nearby districts who would benefit from the half-day K option.
I loved the half day AAPS Kindergarten for my eldest son. I would love to see that option for my youngest. If it is not an option, I will look elsewhere. I feel that a half day is the best way for young children to be introduced into school.
Our oldest daughter attended full day kindergarten at Northside the first year it went full day. Due to personal circumstances, we could not transport her to other schools that were not full day, nor did we want her going to a different school than her neighborhood friends. Also, it was diffucult for us to meet her nutritional needs as she has some intolerances. She was too young to understand and make the right choices at the school cafeteria. The school administration was not very helpful. Our daughter developed pica and depression by December, and the remainder of the year we sent her half day. She thrived when going half day. Her pica and depression went away, and she performed well the remainder of the year. Based on this experience, we've homeschooled her ever since. We wanted our younger children to have Kindergarten experience in school, but there are no half day options in Ann Arbor anymore. We've continued to homeschool all of our children. We have two more that will be of kindergarten age Fall 2015 and after. We would really like half day options in the school district. Also, there are longitudinal research studies which do not find specific benefits to full day kindergarten. For us, full day at that age was just too much.
Though the district handbook states that the option is open to parents to pull their Kindergarten child out for a partial day of school, school personnel are not supportive of families who decide to do this. Last year, I went against the grain and pulled my daughter (who is currently in 1st grade) out early each day. It was the best option for her as a full day was not appropriate for her as a kindergarten student (even though she has an early spring birthday.) The principal was not nice about doing this and the teacher would not meet with me unless it was to talk about keeping her there for the full day. They were concerned that she would miss curriculum and not be able to keep up in first grade, and at the beginning of the year told me she would likely have to repeat kindergarten. She was at or above grade level on everything and is thriving this year. I am glad I did what was best for my daughter but was really discouraged about the whole process and feel that parents should have more of a say--especially at this developmental stage. I will have a kindergarten student again next year and will likely do the same thing--even if it isn't a formal option given by the school district.
Even if a half-day option can't be offered, I would like to see a more gentle transition to full-day at the beginning of the school year. Some sort of plan to phase in the full-day over a period of time.
It depends. I would look at half day options, first public then private. But only half day options.
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Updates
November 3, 2014
The administration has acknowledged the volume of interest regarding the half day kindergarten proposal. I am currently coordinating with the school board office to place this agenda item on the schedule for the next public meeting.
7 Comments
I would ideally send my child to half-day kindergarten at the school where our neighborhood children attend. I want my child to ride the bus with their peers. If half-day is not offered, I will most likely pull my child out of full-day kindergarten and make a half-day option on my own.
There is also the opportunity to recruit students from nearby districts who would benefit from the half-day K option.
I loved the half day AAPS Kindergarten for my eldest son. I would love to see that option for my youngest. If it is not an option, I will look elsewhere. I feel that a half day is the best way for young children to be introduced into school.
Our oldest daughter attended full day kindergarten at Northside the first year it went full day. Due to personal circumstances, we could not transport her to other schools that were not full day, nor did we want her going to a different school than her neighborhood friends. Also, it was diffucult for us to meet her nutritional needs as she has some intolerances. She was too young to understand and make the right choices at the school cafeteria. The school administration was not very helpful. Our daughter developed pica and depression by December, and the remainder of the year we sent her half day. She thrived when going half day. Her pica and depression went away, and she performed well the remainder of the year. Based on this experience, we've homeschooled her ever since. We wanted our younger children to have Kindergarten experience in school, but there are no half day options in Ann Arbor anymore. We've continued to homeschool all of our children. We have two more that will be of kindergarten age Fall 2015 and after. We would really like half day options in the school district. Also, there are longitudinal research studies which do not find specific benefits to full day kindergarten. For us, full day at that age was just too much.
Though the district handbook states that the option is open to parents to pull their Kindergarten child out for a partial day of school, school personnel are not supportive of families who decide to do this. Last year, I went against the grain and pulled my daughter (who is currently in 1st grade) out early each day. It was the best option for her as a full day was not appropriate for her as a kindergarten student (even though she has an early spring birthday.) The principal was not nice about doing this and the teacher would not meet with me unless it was to talk about keeping her there for the full day. They were concerned that she would miss curriculum and not be able to keep up in first grade, and at the beginning of the year told me she would likely have to repeat kindergarten. She was at or above grade level on everything and is thriving this year. I am glad I did what was best for my daughter but was really discouraged about the whole process and feel that parents should have more of a say--especially at this developmental stage. I will have a kindergarten student again next year and will likely do the same thing--even if it isn't a formal option given by the school district.
Even if a half-day option can't be offered, I would like to see a more gentle transition to full-day at the beginning of the school year. Some sort of plan to phase in the full-day over a period of time.
It depends. I would look at half day options, first public then private. But only half day options.
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I would ideally send my child to half-day kindergarten at the school where our neighborhood children attend. I want my child to ride the bus with their peers. If half-day is not offered, I will most likely pull my child out of full-day kindergarten and make a half-day option on my own.