At a special meeting of the Board of Education on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at Howitt Middle School, board members presented their plans for full day kindergarten, which is scheduled to begin in the Farmingdale school district in September. Residents, including parents, attended the meeting to voice their concerns.

At the meeting, board members and full day kindergarten committee members Mrs. Kitzen, Mrs. Knudsen, and Mrs. Visconti discussed their curriculum plans, including literacy and math objectives. Presentations discussing staffing plans, a proposed furniture budget, an instructional supplies budget, and means of transportation for the youngsters were given by committee members and Barbara Horsley, Dr. Fanning, Anita Solovey, Gerry Johnson and Marcia Klein.

With hundreds in attendance, the board was pleased to see how many residents came out to join in the discussions of the new program. The meeting was also both video and audio recorded for missing board members and parents who were unable to make the meeting.

At the start of the meeting, the full day kindergarten committee members presented a mission statement to the audience which described the objectives they had in mind for the full day kindergarten program. They said "we in the Farmingdale School District recognize the uniqueness of all children entrusted to our care. Realizing that young children learn best through active involvement with their surroundings, we commit ourselves to helping youngsters realize their full potential in a secure and stimulating environment. Our efforts underscore the growth and development of the whole child from social, intellectual, physical and emotional vantage points."

Committee members continued to explain that a developmentally appropriate program will provide children with various opportunities, including: interaction in guided and informal play experiences; age-appropriate activities for their own sake and for future preparation; to foster a curiosity and enthusiasm for learning; developing a sense of independence through self-motivation and self-discipline; to grow in decision making, problem solving, and creative thinking; to express themselves through language use, writing, movement, materials and resources; to explore their world using their five senses; and to affirm the importance of themselves as capable and unique individuals.

Before planning a curriculum for Farmingdale's full day kindergarten program, committee members visited schools which already have the program and set up questionnaires for teachers of other schools that have already implemented full-day kindergarten.

"We looked at all available research about full day kindergarten to make sure we were on the right track," Visconti said.

The committee explained that their goals for the early education program in Farmingdale are in keeping with their mission statement. Accordingly, they wish to promote: a child-centered environment that encourages competence and self-esteem; a positive atmosphere that fosters an acceptance of the uniqueness of self and others; a safe physical setting that allows a child to explore self-selected activities; a learning environment that facilitates a child's intellectual growth through guided discovery; a flexibly designed, hands-on curriculum that meets both individual and group needs; a series of meaningful and enjoyable activities that contributes to a child's full process; a variety of communications skills that are interwoven into a child's daily experiences; a foundation of the home-school partnership that allows for family involvement; and a viable assessment that addresses each child's developmental and educational needs.

Committee members added that "to the realization of these efforts, we commit our energies." To capture the above mentioned goals, the kindergarten committee intends to elaborate further on their already planned objectives in literacy and math. They plan to work on science and social studies objectives to expand their current curriculum standards, and will present these plans at future board meetings as they arise. Superintendent of schools Gerard Dempsey added that the curriculum is only a draft, that the board and committee plans to expand on it as they see necessary. "This is still what we consider a work in progress," he said.

The committee explained that its literacy objectives for students include oral expression, receptive listening, positive attitudes toward reading and writing, phonemic awareness, comprehension of text, concepts about books and writing.

They plan to fulfill these objectives by holding reading time during the school day, playing word games with the students, and encouraging that parents read books with their children at home to further ensure that they have a grasp on literacy. Kindergarten teachers ensured parents that while the formality of these objectives may seem like too much for the children, that they will be sure to keep the curriculum objectives appropriate for their young age group. For example, children will play games with letters, and classrooms will be equipped with letter puppets, one to represent each letter of the alphabet. Students will be encouraged to form words with the letters, such as spelling out their names. They will also participate in reading exercises from Dr. Seuss books.

The mathematical objectives for students include mathematical reasoning, number and numeration, operations, modeling/multiple representation, measurement, uncertainty, and patterns and functions. Committee members explained that children will learn math skills in a fun way, such as measuring themselves with objects like apples, to see how many apples long they are. They will also play games to learn about operations. For example, if the students have four oranges in front of them and one is taken away, how many are left? To ensure that material is age appropriate, teachers will focus lessons incorporating what the children already know, including shapes, sizes and colors.

In addition to literacy and math, committee members will plan science and social studies objectives in the near future. They also intend to have the children participate in a few special courses, such as physical education, general music, and art. The exact plan for a full school day is not determined as of yet, but the board will present possibilities at upcoming meetings.

Based on the current enrollment number of 512 students in kindergarten, the board of education planned a projection for the number of additional teachers they will need to have adequate staffing. There are currently 12 kindergarten teachers in the Farmingdale school district, and the board estimated that if the projected number of students remains close to the 512 that 12 more teachers will be necessary. Board members added that this number is also based on the number of students in each classroom, which they average to be 20.

The board presented a furniture and supplies budget, estimating the amount of material needed based on approximate class sizes. With an approximate budget of $900,000, Superintendent Dempsey reminded those in attendance that the school district needs their support in order to make this program work. He reminded the audience that this budget is just an approximation, that precise figures cannot be determined until the actual number of students enrolled is known. The board explained that if the enrollment number is close to last year's 512, approximately $600,000 should be covered by aid from New York State. Funds come from the state depending on enrollment figures which cannot be determined until September.

Assistant Superintendent Barbara Horsely presented transportation costs and concerns at the meeting. She described how bus schedules would be handled and changed, since midday buses would no longer be necessary in the district once the new kindergarten program begins. In an attempt to ease parents' concerns, Horsely explained that children riding on the bus will be given preferential seating in the front and that building procedures will assist the driver in identifying kindergarten students.

In addition, students will not be permitted off the bus in the afternoon unless a parent is present to retrieve them, and during the first week of the school year students will wear color coordinated labels to show that they are in kindergarten as well as their appropriate classroom. Also in the first week, PTA members and kindergarten teachers will escort children off the bus when they arrive at school to their classrooms until they are better familiar with where they have to go on their own.

Parents at the meeting expressed some concerns they have about the program. One parent explained how she was worried that those children who attended nursery school prior to kindergarten would be more advanced than those who hadn't, and wondered how such a problem would be handled. In response, kindergarten committee member Visconti told the parent that such instances are occurring now in half day kindergarten. She further explained that in order for a child that is so young to fully understand what is being taught to them, they have to implement the lesson several times. She explained that since there will be more teachers available, Visconti told the parent that children will be looked after on an individual basis to suit their specific needs.

Some parents also expressed concern that since children are now only experiencing half day kindergarten sessions, they will probably be tired toward the end of a school day. The parents wanted to know how the teachers would be able to keep the children alert throughout the course of the day. In response, Visconti explained that through their research of visiting other full day kindergarten programs in other schools the committee has found that children are more alert during the morning hours of school. Due to these findings, the committee plans to hold the heavier classes in the morning and then send the children to lunch. After they've eaten, kindergartners will come back to the classroom for a lighter course, such as general music or art.

Since all of these plans are still in draft form, the board of education will continue to discuss them at future meetings. The next meeting where they intend to elaborate on plans will be held on Jan. 24. Objectives will also be discussed further from February through May during PTA meetings, and a more finalized plan will be presented by the board on Mar. 1. By this time, the board will have a better idea of how many children they will need to account for, the amount of supplies needed, and how the program will work precisely. In addition, meetings will be scheduled for parents of kindergarten students to meet with principals while their children meet their teachers in an effort to answer any questions or concerns the parents may have.