District 54 launches full-day kindergarten this week
This week marked the first week of full-day kindergarten in District 54. On Monday, 1,527 students walked through the doors of their classroom for the first time this year. The excitement, energy and enthusiasm for the year was electric and the students were very eager to be in school all day. The Board of Education approved the implementation of full-day kindergarten programing for all students last spring.
The implementation of full-day kindergarten aligns with the Board goal of ensuring students are at grade level upon entering third grade. Significant research highlights the long-term academic success for students when provided academic supports early in their educational career. The implementation of full-day kindergarten comes just one year after the Board of Education approved the development of an Early Learning Center which opened in the fall of 2014. In its first year, the Early Learning Center provided educational opportunities for more than 800 at-risk preschoolers. Both the opening of the Early Learning Center and the implementation of full-day kindergarten supports the Board goal and provides District 54 students with the best possible start to their long-term academic success.
As you enter kindergarten classrooms across the district this week, you witness students getting to know their peers, teachers and other school staff. The students are already getting into routines and engaging in reading, writing and math lessons in fun and engaging ways. In many kindergarten classrooms, students were seen using the newly installed interactive white boards to make learning fun and meaningful.
The extension of full-day kindergarten has provided students with fine arts and physical education opportunities. During this first week, students were engaging in "getting to know you" songs in music, developing gross motor skills in physical education classes, and designing their first pieces for art portfolios. These experiences have been afforded to students because of the implementation of full-day kindergarten. Along with academics, these opportunities provide students a well-rounded educational experience from the onset.
While this is the first week for full-day kindergarten students in District 54, staff have been preparing for this week since last spring. Kindergarten staff from across the district came together at the end of last school year, this summer, and again the week before students arrived to collaborate and ensure the best possible experiences for kindergartners starting on day one. The excitement for full-day was echoed with staff as they eagerly prepared for the start of the year.
While the first week of full-day kindergarten is concluding today, the opportunities afforded to students with the implementation of both full-day kindergarten and the opening of the Early Learning Center will be felt for years to come. This class of 1,527 full-day kindergarten students will be the graduating class of 2028 and their future is very bright.