Children are better prepared
for all-day kindergarten when they:
• Have the ability to sit and listen
and wait for a turn.
• Have an interest in books.
• Can play and share with others.
• Have experience using scissors,
crayons and pencils.
• Can count objects.
• Have a broad vocabulary built
by positive conversations and experiences.
• Can recognize letters, especially
letters in their name.
• Have practice writing their name.
• Can take care of their personal needs.
• Can respect others’ personal space.
• Can play pretend or imaginary games
and can run, hop, kick and catch a ball.
By Mary Owen
Makenna Toepfer and Emma Wright are beyond excited to be starting kindergarten at Mari-Linn this year.
“And mom’s excited that it’s all day long,” said Laurie Toepfer, mom to Makenna, 5, and third-grader Haley, 8.
Toepfer plans to use some of her free time volunteering in her daughters’ classrooms, while Emma’s mom, Tammy, said she will most likely take on a part-time job.
“Emma’s really attached to me, but I think this will be a great new adventure for her,” said Wright, whose three sons, Zach, 12, Luke, 10, and Ryan, 7, also attend Mari-Linn.
Full-day kindergarten kicks off this month at all three North Santiam School District schools: Mari-Linn, Stayton Elementary and Sublimity.
“This will be positive impact that will be felt down the road in third-grade literacy scores, as well as even further down the road in our society in general,” said Andy Gardner, NSSD superintendent. “It is truly an investment in our young people, those who are just starting out.”
According to Gardner, each school is handling start-up differently as teachers meet their students and get them set up in classrooms.
“At Mari-Linn, we have been preparing for full day since the last school year,” Principal Jeri Loftus said. “Cathy Griswold, our kindergarten teacher, is very excited about getting an opportunity to expand the day. She has plans for more science technology and math to be incorporated within the already very active day.”
Griswold started preparations last spring, hosting Bedtime Stories events for children entering kindergarten in the fall of 2015 and 2016.
“The local day cares and a class from Head Start visited the kindergarten,” she said. “When we had our Kindergarten Roundup, we were able to provide a ‘school toolbox’ for each family, with supplies to use over the summer and into the children’s school years.”
The hand-up for the preschoolers came when Early Learning Hub, in collaboration with area school districts, gained state approval of a grant to help prepare children in 15 elementary school areas to succeed in kindergarten, Griswold said.
“The Mari-Linn school community was one of the selected areas,” Griswold said. “Stayton Elementary also received one.”
Griswold said one of the grant requirements was to establish a professional learning community of pre-K and kindergarten educators.
“We partnered with the Community Action Head Start in Aumsville since some of our local pre-K children attend school there,” Griswold said. “We had professional meetings with their teachers and visited each other’s classrooms, learning from one another.”
Griswold also visited local day cares, and thanks to grant funds, was able to bring activities for providers to use with the children in their care.
“The rest of the grant activities were centered around families of preschoolers,” she said.
Expected outcomes of the Early Learning Hub grant include: strengthen connections between early learning and K-12; engage families as key partners in children’s learning and development; and increase children’s readiness for kindergarten.
Once kindergarten has started, Griswold hopes to build on the relationships she formed with families involved in the program.
“I think those families who attended the grant-sponsored events last year will be bringing in children who are already familiar with the classroom and teacher,” she said. “They will have used the materials they were given last spring, and will arrive with more confidence and a good foundation of skills, ready to learn kindergarten skills.”
Wright said her daughter was introduced to the idea of kindergarten through her day care.
“She’s been practicing her letters and numbers and doing ‘homework’ every day!” she said.
Loftus said Mari-Linn parents are excited about the change from half-day to full-day kindergarten.
“Of course, there is always concern about fatigue at this age,” she said. “I believe they will have enough to keep them busy that it won’t be much of a problem.”
Loftus said the depth of skills expected as students move forward has increased.
“Full day instruction will better provide those foundational skills to our kids,” she said. “I believe that a full day of academic and social instruction will help our students be prepared as they move through with their education.”
