Upper Canada schools jumpstart new term

BROCKVILLE | Staff and administration for the Upper Canada school district are congratulating themselves on getting «a jumpstart ahead» of other districts for the 2014-2015 term.

Director David K. Thomas of the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) expressed satisfaction with the district’s “courageous decision” to forge ahead last term with full implementation of the fulltime kindergarten program at all UCDSB elementary schools instead of waiting one more year to finish the project.

“Two years ago, our district trustees and senior leadership determined we would fully implement full-time kindergarten one year ahead of the provincial mandate,” Thomas stated in a press release. “That made for a very difficult, very tight budget last year because, of course, the provincial mo- ney to compress a five-year program into four did not come with it. But it was worth it to ensure our new students had a head start in their learning through the quality programming that full-time kindergarten (FTK) offers.”

Thomas noted that the start of the new school term this September has been almost perfect “with very few distractions” because all of the elementary schools are in line now with their full-time kindergarten programs while other school districts are still struggling to finish setting up their FTKs and adjust their budgets to accommodate the final year of implementation.

The provincial government set a five - year deadline for all Ontario school districts to introduce full-time kindergarten programs for their elementary school curriculums.