New kindergarten schedule gets rave reviews

Marissa Espino

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- Some parents might be inconvenienced. Others might

welcome the change. But many Plavan Elementary School parents agree the

new morning- and afternoon-track kindergarten program is what is best for

the students.

“Anything that gives my children a little more attention is good,” said

Lisa Spruill, whose daughter, Cailey, attends kindergarten at Plavan.

“It’s a tad inconvenient for me, but I’m willing to put up with it for a

year to give her a good [educational] basis.”

Plavan, Tamura and Newland elementary schools are participating in a

pilot program that allows the schools to maintain a

20-student-per-teacher ratio all day instead of half of the day.

The new program allows the morning track students to begin their school

day at about 8 a.m. while the afternoon track starts school at around

11:30 a.m. Teachers are also required to spend about 50 minutes helping

other teachers when needed.

Plavan kindergarten teacher Laurie Kennelly said the transition to the

new program has been a smooth one.

“It’s better than I expected,” Kennelly said. “So far, it’s been really

great. How could it not be better to have 20-to-1?”

Susie Johnson, parent of a Plavan kindergartner, said she preferred the

afternoon class and was happy the program change allowed for smaller

class sizes.

“It’s kind of nice to relax in the morning, and they get a lot more

individual attention,” Johnson said.

Tamura and Newland principals Kathleen Selleh and Mary Lou Watkins said

their teachers are pleased with the change.

“My teachers are just smiling from ear to ear,” Selleh said. “With the

smaller classes they can really help the kids.”

Plavan parent Irma Jeffries said she thinks having 20

students-per-one-teacher is still too many students for teachers to

provide individual attention to the young students.

“Even with 20-to-1 it’s still a handful,” said Jeffries, who has a

5-year-old daughter. “It’s still too high. We are stepping in the right

direction, but I don’t think they are there yet.”

Kennelly said she often has parent volunteers helping in the classroom,

which allows for more one-on-one time.

Selleh said she thinks the separate class times do not disrupt the class

as much as last year’s staggered schedule, in which teachers had more

than 30 students for part of the day.

“So many times these kids are missing the basics,” Selleh said. “I think

kindergarten is such an important year and if they all have a strong

foundation they will benefit enormously.”