By Kenneth Roberts,Special to the Sun Journal

GREENE – Much support was heard for the full-day kindergarten proposed for the 2006-07 school year in SAD 52 at a citizen forum in the Central School cafeteria here Thursday evening.

More than 40 adults and 10 of their children braved a heavy, wet, late-winter snowstorm to hear about the program. Two parents took the opportunity to express how their children had benefited from the full-day kindergarten experience in other communities and were looking forward to their second children starting in Greene in September. Another said that from everything she’d heard she was absolutely excited about her child starting kindergarten in the fall.

Principals of the Turner Primary School and Greene Central, Theresa Gillis and Tom Martellone, cited the advantages of full-day kindergarten that they had learned from three years of research and study.

Five current teachers in the half-day program presented video and hands-on examples of how much more students could gain in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies by attending for a full day. They also stressed that the added benefits were not all about academics, but included more socialization and individual attention.

Questions concerning whether a half-day option would be available for parents desiring it for their children and whether class sizes would be limited echoed those heard at the earlier forums in Turner and Leeds. They were told that a half-day is an option, but parents will be responsible for transportation, and every attempt will be made to limit class sizes to 15 students. Estimates were that Turner will need two additional teachers to meet that class size, and both Greene and Leeds will need one additional teacher. Parents were told that the schools have the necessary space to accommodate the added classes.

Parents inquiring about how they could support the program were told to attend the district’s budget hearings at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13, in Greene, and the vote on the district’s budget two days later, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 15, in Turner in the Leavitt Area High School auditorium.

Martellone advised parents with prospective kindergarten students in Greene to attend a parents’ orientation on Monday, April 24, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and to take their children for screenings with teachers and administrators on May 3 and 4. He encouraged any parents with questions or concerns to call him at the school, 946-5681. Parents in Turner were reminded to call Theresa Gillis, 225-3655, and in Leeds, Cheryl McKeagney at 524-5151, with their questions.

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