One Size fits all? – We don’t believe so!
The Province of British Columbia has decided to implement full time Kindergarten province wide. Unlike our public school counterparts, Vernon Christian School is able to maintain our Part Time Kindergarten program while expanding our services to include Full Time Kindergarten in order to meet the needs of all families in our diverse community.
Kindergarten aged children experience a significant time of rapid social, mental and physical growth. Every child develops at a different rate and it is not unusual to find vast differences in skill development in a Kindergarten class. In addition, every child and family has distinct circumstances and values about early learning. There is, therefore, no “one size fits all” response regarding the perfect or ideal amount of time at home versus time at school for this age group. We believe that parents should have the option to choose how their child is introduced to the school environment. “Our desire, at Vernon Christian School, is to work alongside families to meet the unique needs of each child and each family situation”, says Monica Douma, Vernon Christian School Board and Education Committee member.
Will my child miss out on important skills in preparation for grade 1 if they attend half time Kindergarten?
The short answer is, “No!” The Full Time Kindergarten program at Vernon Christian School will offer more opportunities to learn through play, develop social skills through extended interaction with other children, and provide increased exposure to educational materials. Children enrolled in Full Time Kindergarten will not have higher learning expectations than those in Part Time Kindergarten. New concepts and skills in preparation for grade 1 will be taught when both full time and part time students are together.
For the 2012-13 school year, the Full Time Kindergarten program at Vernon Christian School will run Monday – Friday on the same schedule as the Grade One through Grade 6 program. The Part Time Kindergarten program will follow a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. Both programs start at 8:25am and end at 3:00pm. Parents may also choose a graduated entrance into the Full Time Kindergarten Program after Christmas.
For additional information regarding Kindergarten enrolment, please contact our Elementary Campus Principal, Mr. Steve Onsorge @ 250-545-7345 or e-mail at info@vcs.ca