OXFORD – This is the first school year kindergarten students in Oxford Hills have attended classes all day, and officials are pleased with the results, so far.

On Monday, Otisfield Community School Principal Linda Park and her kindergarten teacher Angie Craib, along with Jane Strauss, kindergarten teacher at the Mildred M. Fox Elementary School in Paris, gave a midyear update to the SAD 17 Board of Directors on the program.

Park, who was charged with overseeing the “all-day K” program, said she has visited all 17 of the district’s kindergarten classes and seen much improvement.

Students spend their whole morning reading and writing, which has greatly enhanced their literacy skills, Park said. They also do routine morning note activities, and the calendar which helps them learn days of the week.

The rest of the day is spent on a variety of activities. There is more time for math, physical education, music and art.

Craib said students also have more time to get their winter gear on and not eat into recess time.

“Just opening their locker – they don’t know how (at first),” Craib said.

Also, there’s more time for “academic play,” games that teach lessons, which is important.

There have been just a few downfalls, many of which have improved through the year.

Kids were exhausted by the end of the school day, something they have since gotten used to, Craib said.

Also, class sizes have skyrocketed to 18 and more, especially at Guy E. Rowe Elementary in Norway, Hebron Station Elementary and Fox school.

To remedy this, elementary school officials are pushing to get more education technicians in classrooms to assist.

Overall, school officials have seen more academic performance, a decrease in students needing first-grade remedial education, and a savings in transportation costs.

Plus, parents take kindergarten more seriously now, Park said.

“Where these kids will be in June is pretty high considering they came in not knowing their name,” Park said.