BOE is VOTING on the kindergarten schedule April 8 (7pm, K discussion around 8) at Staples' cafeteria.  Please attend the meeting, bring others in favor of our current schedule and tell the BOE your opinion!

The most effective way to sway their decision is to pack the meeting with parents in favor of keeping the schedule as is. All you need to do during public comments is stand up and state that you are in favor of keeping the current kindergarten schedule (if you want to state your reasons, you are allotted up to 3 minutes). 

Look forward to seeing you there!

see below for a letter from the Alliance for Childhood

March 15, 2013
 
Dear Lisa Power,
 
I appreciate your concern and questions about full day kindergarten. We know that many educators and policy makers think that full day kindergartens will help children move forward academically and help close the achievement gap. Unfortunately, the research does not support this belief. We have seen one study from Las Vegas that indicated some long-term gains from full day kindergartens, but a number of other studies have shown only short-term gains which last a year or two. These gains disappear around third grade.
 
What makes the situation worse is that kindergartens increasingly use teacher-led, didactic instruction rather than active learning models. The latter focus on rich content offered in experiential ways, combined with open-ended play. This combination is considered by many experts in the field to be the most effective way to bring about long-term gains in learning for kindergarten children, and there is research from here and abroad that backs that up.  
 
What happens when children are offered didactic instruction for long hours in full day kindergartens? We hear many examples of increases in behavior problems among some children, and exhaustion or stress among others. There are also growing reports that student burnout, which has long been a problem in third and fourth grade children, is now being observed in first and second grade children.
 
For these reasons we are very concerned about the current trend to establish full day kindergartens. We strongly recommend that a school district first be very clear about what constitutes effective education for children of this age, and secondly become aware of how little evidence there is that full day kindergartens yield long-term gains.  
 
We hope these comments are of help to you and your Board of Education.
 
Sincerely,
 
Joan Almon
Director of Programs

This is important because the Kindergarten students will benefit greatly from having the free time for valuable enrichment programs, play time and family time and they do not have the stamina for five full days.  Our kids are not falling behind!!!

Please fwd the petition as much as possible and have your spouse sign (if applicable)

Please attend the BOE mtg: THIS Monday, 7:30pm at Staples

Please email BOE at boe@westport.k12.ct.us to share your opinion. Our voice counts!

Thanks again for supporting our current schedule!!!!