By Angela Marshall
At the Feb. 26 School Board meeting, Genovesi and four other teachers, one from each of the school district's five elementary schools, discussed the impact that changing to a full-day kindergarten program has had on the students and their teachers.
Nancy Kahn, a Covert teacher with 28 years of experience in elementary education, called the developmental changes she has seen in the students amazing. Kahn believes her students are as developed at the half-way point in the year as her previous students have been in June. [Full-day K] makes a big, big difference.
After months of discussing the program's pros and cons, the district decided last year to implement full-day K, as did neighboring school districts like Baldwin and Valley Stream. All three districts evaluated their programs in February and proclaimed them a success.
That doesn't mean bugs aren't still being worked out of the program. Assistant Superintendent Delia Garrity said the teachers are receiving ongoing staff development and the curriculum is being looked at closely to see what is working and what isn't.
The program's success also means changes in other elementary school grades. As this year's students advance, they will need more challenging work than their predecessors. It really will be an ongoing evolution, Garrity said.
Over the summer, kindergarten and first grade teachers will get together to discuss necessary changes to the first-grade curriculum.
This is fantastic, said Shereen Dearr-Allen. She had one child in the previous half-day program and has a son in the new full-day K program. He has learned so much more.
Wendy Spelfogel, who was a main proponent of the program, said full-day K has really exceeded my expectations.
A few parents questioned the lack of out-of-class extras like gym and art. Lack of space prohibits many schools from offering these extras out of the classroom, but teachers and administrators pointed out the day is filled with those activities in the classroom.
All teachers are encouraged to take their classes outdoors when the weather is good.
The students do not spend the day sitting at their desks listening to their teachers talk.
Just about everything the children do is play oriented, said Genovesi, a Wilson School teacher.
The idea is that children learn while they are doing. Riverside teacher Marissa Cohen said students start the day by taking their own attendance, practicing naming the days of the week, sharing poems and singing songs with learning themes.
Each classroom has a series of centers. During center time, they practice skills like counting blocks, painting on an easel, using a computer and reading books. They also learn to pick up after themselves and to share.
When it comes to learning to read, the teachers also use games as a tool. They don't know that we're skill building. To them it's play, said Laura Moore, a Watson teacher.
During one of her classroom visits, Garrity watched students working on one of their writing projects. Students were asked to write down the things they love. One little boy asked, Can I write my name, cause I really love me.
Activities often center around themes, said Michelle Marason, a Hewitt teacher. In September, students learn about Johnny Appleseed and, among other activities, learn to make applesauce. On President's Day, they learned about the power to veto.
Because not all children learn at the same speed or even begin the year at the same developmental level, the teachers use three instructional models for learning
