Do any northern virginia public schools still have half-day kindergarten?

[Anonymous]

loudoun county only has half day

[Anonymous]

All of Prince William county has all day kindergarten

[Anonymous]

Willow Springs has 1/2 day.

I think full day would be tough on a lot of kids. I know my kid would be wiped out. It's more of a scheduling pain for me but I'm glad we only have 1/2 day.

[Anonymous]

I am a Kinder teacher in Fairfax, and in my opinion full day K is much better in terms of making progress- they make so much more when given the time in the classroom to learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a Kinder teacher in Fairfax, and in my opinion full day K is much better in terms of making progress- they make so much more when given the time in the classroom to learn.

Fairfax County Public Schools did a study on academics and full day kindergarten. It benefits the students most at risk for poor school achievement. For many others it's childcare. FX and FCPS should expand SACC . FCPS kindergarten curriculum has to cover a wide range of ages, levels of family involvement, preparation for K, English language proficiency. Dual immersion is to benefit the native Spanish speaking population.


http://www.fcps.edu/accountability/off_prog_eval/pdf/final_full_day_kindergarten_implement.pdf

[Anonymous]

8:50 again.

FCPS implementation of full day kindergarten started in low performing schools except for Westbriar in Vienna [Tysons area]. Recently Springhill in Mclean was supposed to get full day. Look at the performance of that school. How could it be higher? Return or benefit from the taxes especially if the school has SACC.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ofc/sacc.htm

No difference in SACC fees for families making over $50,000[ $600/month from about 12-6pm].

[Anonymous]

So basically half day kids are getting short changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So basically half day kids are getting short changed.

Yup

[Anonymous]

They cover the same core curriculum, but they get reduced specials. I wouldn't exactly call the kids who are in half day K in FCPS short changed. The parents who need SACC certainly do get the double whammy of having to pay for after K SACC plus after school SACC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So basically half day kids are getting short changed.

I don't think so. The half day K kids get to have more freedom and time to just be a kid for one more full year (because they are only in school about 3 hours -- not over 6!)

[Anonymous]

Just an FYI, SACC is run by FFX County Govt. Not FCPS. Completely unrelated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They cover the same core curriculum, but they get reduced specials. I wouldn't exactly call the kids who are in half day K in FCPS short changed. The parents who need SACC certainly do get the double whammy of having to pay for after K SACC plus after school SACC.

1/2 day v SACC from 12 to 3. Parent pays for their own kid's SACC. Lunch is during SACC and there is extra downtime in full day K. Unless a school gets extra funding for programs or due to ESL or poverty levels they don't get any more specials. It is cheaper to have SACC from 12-3 than pay an FCPS teacher salary and benefits plus an instructional aid.

Could SACC aids/workers do the same stuff that a kindergarten aid does? Yes. Can SACC take them to the playground and library? Yes. Furthermore, there are no older kids in SACC from slots approximately 9-12 and 12-3.

[Anonymous]

To 10:54 - what difference does it make to a 5 year old who's away from hone 10 hours a day total how many of those hours are in K and how many are in before or after school childcare?

[Anonymous]

I think she was talking about differences in curriculum...that there weren't any. We are headed for K this fall, so we will see how it goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The ones that have full-day K are the ones in "poorer" neighborhoods or ones that tested lower, plus a couple others that were originally testing grounds for the program such as Westbriar in Vienna which is not considered a lower-income neighborhood but which has full-day K. They had originally wanted to phase full-day K into all schools, but they stopped due to budget cuts. Therefore, the schools in McLean, Vienna and Great Falls generally have 1/2 day K. For now, full-day K is saved. Who knows for next year.

Uhhh...not true on the poorer neighborhoods. Waynewood Elementary is full day and that is hardly a poor neighborhood. Less than 10% are on free or reduced lunch.