All Day Kindergarten in Durham Region-Five Year Olds must Pack a Lunch

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Five Year Olds must Pack a Lunch!

On November 18th the Durham District School board announced that more than 1,000 four-and five-year olds will spend full days in school. In order to determine which schools will launch the first 45 full-day kindergarten classrooms the board and staff are looking at availability of space, community need, impact on childcare programs and student achievement.

“It brings many opportunities and also challenges as new information is coming forward to us weekly said superintendent Lisa Miller.

Tim Robins who is the assistant superintendent of The Durham Catholic District School Board said they would be receiving $1.3 million in projected operating funding, enough for 12 classes next year.

Dr. Charles Pascal’s report to the Province on early learning is what has sparked the full-day kindergarten plans into action. Dr. Pascal’s recommendations included four main components. “The first key component is full-day learning for four-and five-year-olds,” said Ms. Millar.

The plan will not be fully implemented for 5 years, but in the first year this new program will be offered to 15 per cent of the province’s kindergarten students. Recommended sites have to be submitted to the Ministry by November 30, 2009 with the expected approval in early 2010.

The Province is spending $200 million on the program in its first year to support 35,000 four-and five-year-olds in full-day kindergarten, with $300 million expected for the following year.

To see the rest of Dr. Pascal’s four main components please visit Durham Region’s website.