201902.05
0

Tustin school district is making the change to full-day kindergarten

by in News

Kindergartners in the Tustin Unified School District will be getting a little more time to learn their lessons.

The district is adding about an hour and a half to the school day for the young students starting with the next school year, joining a trend toward offering full-day kindergarten. South Orange County school districts announced recently they were also making the change.

  • Kindergartners enjoy storytime with teacher Dana Quebbemann at Peters Canyon Elementary School. (Courtesy of Tustin Unified School District

  • Red Hill Elementary School teacher Danette Marshall’s kindergarten students work on a math activity. Kindergartners will have more time for lessons with an extended day next year. (Courtesy of the Tustin Unified School District)

  • Sound
    The gallery will resume inseconds

  • Tustin Unified School District kindergartners hard at work in the classroom. Next school year kindergartners will stay for a longer day. (Courtesy of Tustin Unified School District)

of

Expand

“Full-day kindergarten will offer a more relaxed atmosphere,” TUSD Deputy Superintendent Kathie Nielsen said.

Teachers won’t be packing more into their lesson plans, she said. Instead, they will be able to spend more time on the content they already are teaching.

There also will be more time for art and music, officials said.

Students will now stay for lunch, which will help them more with socialization skills and better prepare them for later grades. The students, who are typically five years old, will still have a recess period in the morning.

Nielsen said it is really “extended-day” kindergarten and that the students will still be getting out before the older grades. In all, they will be at school for 295 minutes a day, up from 203.

The district, which also serves parts of Irvine and Santa Ana, had been hearing from parents who wanted a longer school day for the early learners. It also helps with child care.

“This is something the community has wanted for some time,” Nielsen added. “It is believed, by providing students with a longer day they will have opportunities to increase their achievement levels and ensure they are best prepared for first grade.”

Making the change won’t require more teachers, but the district expects some parents who have been putting their children in private schools that have full-day kindergarten may start choosing Tustin, leading to increased enrollment and the need for more staff.

Nielsen said there is legislation being considered that if passed by state lawmakers would require full-day kindergarten by 2021.

Tustin Unified starts enrolling for next year’s kindergarten classes on Feb. 11. A transitional kindergarten program will still be offered.