By Liz McBreen
West Hempstead implemented a full day last year when the Kindergarten Center on Chestnut Street was opened. The 90-year-old building where the center is now located is also home to the West Hempstead Public Library. After not being used for almost 20 years, it was renovated and prepared to once again welcome students, all on a shoestring budget of $1 million.
Under the direction of Mary Keating, the students are reaping the benefits of attending school full time, "a full day of kindergarten has been statistically shown to make the transition into elementary school easier," said School Board President Martin Kaye at the Grand Opening of the center in May.
The opening of the Kindergarten Center relieved a serious space problem in the West Hempstead district. The move freed up a number of classrooms in the elementary buildings, allowing for additional teaching space and lab areas. About 170 students were enrolled in the program during its first year in operation, and more are expected this fall.
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in the Franklin Square district, Julie Soffentini explained, "A planning committee sat down, and as they considered the ever-increasing New York State School Board standards, they decided that a full day of school at the kindergarten level would be the only way to ensure that the students will meet these standards."
There will be 270 students and 15 teachers involved in the Franklin Square kindergarten program this year, and they will meet in classrooms in each of the three elementary schools.
The full-time kindergarten program in Elmont has been held in the district's elementary schools for several years. Four hundred five-year-olds will fill a minimum of two classrooms in each of the six schools this year, according to Director of Early Childhood Development in the Elmont District, Trish Kilduff.
"There will be a half day of school through September, while the children are being assessed, and a full day from October to June," said Kilduff.
All three districts include field trips in the kindergarten program, another important part of the students' development according to Kaye, "We want the children to get out and get to know the community."
