School District 43 says it's ready for all-day kindergarten in 2010
The Tri-City News
By Diane Strandberg
November 06, 2009

… SD43 assistant superintendent Maureen Dockendorf won’t identify the schools because it’s up to the province to make the final selection. But she said she hopes the decision won’t be long in coming because kindergarten registration starts in January and parents will have to decide then whether to enrol their children in the extended day for September 2010….

The move toward full-day kindergarten continues despite funding concerns from school districts and the BC School Trustees’ Association.

The province has allotted $151 million — $44 million for the first year of the transition to full-day kindergarten and $107 million for the second year — and Dockendorf said the money will pay for teaching time but not for extra resources, such as education materials, which can cost up to $20,000 per classroom.

To make sure the district isn’t on the hook for extra costs, all-day kindergarten will go first to schools that have sufficient space and materials and populations of vulnerable children who would benefit most, Dockendorf explained.

“We cannot, in days of budget reductions, if there’s not resources, put forward schools if there aren’t the resources,” she added.

Money concerns aside, Dockendorf said the district welcomes the move to all-day kindergarten, which will be optional for families, pointing to research that shows it can improve the chances of success in school, particularly for vulnerable children….

To keep a lid on costs, Jane Bertrand, a professor in early childhood education, and Jane Beach, a Victoria-based policy consultant, have visited the district when it fits in with their schedules and will be addressing teachers and principals on Nov. 30.

Dockendorf said all-day kindergarten won’t be different from the current half-day program that some ESL and Aboriginal students already get. There won’t be nap time but the longer day will enable teachers to spend more time on topics such as art music and reading, and learning how to get along with each other — just like they do in half-day programs.

“The curriculum is already there,” Dockendorf said.