All day kindergarten a hit with teachers, parents

All day, every day kindergarten has gone off without a hitch.
Lake Orion Board of Education voted for the switch from all day, alternating day to all day, every day kindergarten (ADED K) January 14. The school year is nearly four weeks in and, according to teachers and Assistant Superintendet Heidi Kast, ADED K is a big hit.
‘Things are going very well,? said Kast. ‘Parents, students and staff seem to be very happy with the new program.?
Tracy Wellman is a teacher at Blanche Sims Elementary. She’s been teaching alternating day kindergarten for 15 years.
‘I am amazed with how smooth the transition has been,? she said. ‘I was not expecting it, but it’s working very well.?
Wellman added that parents are impressed with how quickly their students adapted to the all-day schedule. She says there were some parents with concerns about a full day, but Wellman hasn’t heard any complaints since the school year’s started.
?[Students] are learning all the routines very quickly,? she said. ‘I love that they’re here every single day, that they’re making contact with the teacher every single day.?
Dawn Burks is a kindergarten teacher at Webber Elementary. In her 10 years teaching four- and five-year-olds, Burks has taught in a half-day, alternating day and ADED schedule.
‘I think with the ADED K we’ve been given the gift of time,? she said. ‘We’ve been able to go slow and deeper into what the kids were learning. We have the flexibility now to dig into the materials and, if needed, we can have extra times for concepts they may be having difficulty with.?
Both Wellman and Burks say the students? staggered start at the beginning of the year helped them adjust to an all day kindergarten schedule. On the first day of school, only half of the class went to school, and on the second day, the other half went.
‘The staggered start was a great opportunity to get half of your class in and teach them the routines without the chaos of 25 kids in the room at the same time,? Wellman said. ‘When they came together on Friday, it was amazing ? they knew where to put their backpacks and where to sit. We’ve had smooth sailing.?
Kast said that highly detailed planning also helped make the transition to ADED K successful.
‘I think really it’s because so much work was put into this. We tried to think of every detail. The planning committee on this was a really awesome committee,? Kast said, adding, ‘I think we are very fortunate in Lake Orion and it’s definitely a benefit for our students.?
Even with such positive feedback about the beginning of the year, the assistant superintendent says the district won’t take it for granted.
‘We’re continuing to monitor everything,? Kast said. ‘We’re still following through on support with our teachers. Want to make sure we have the best program possible.?
She added that the district might ask parents to complete a survey on ADED K.
‘Since it’s the first year, were expecting that there may need to be a few tweaks,? said Kast. ‘It’s important to hear what people have to say.?