Dear Elementary school develops transition room
, News reporter
09-05-2008
Dear Elementary has much to be proud of as the new school year begins. Having just installed a new playsystem on the playground and completed the new classroom addition, it’s only natural that new programs have been added too.
The expanded enrollment of the preschool and addition of a certified aide was a goal set by Principal Carole Garth last year. A new preschool curriculum will be forthcoming.
Dear Elementary teaches students from preschool, ages 3 to 5, to first grade. Insuring that each student is prepared for the next grade level is an ongoing goal. To meet that purpose, a Transition classroom has been developed.
“We’re trying to do what President George Bush intended when instigating No Child Left Behind – at a practical level,” said Garth.
The Transition classroom is a smaller classroom, in the total number of students, allowing the teacher more time to give individual attention whenever necessary.
“These are children you wouldn’t necessarily retain in kindergarten, but are concerned about their success at the first grade,” Garth explained. “These are the kids that you might proverbially say ‘might slip through the cracks.’ We’re not confident they have what they need to succeed at the next level, and this way we’re sure they will be.”
With fewer students, the students receive more time with the teacher. Garth said they would also receive “quite a bit of attention from Shelley Ritchie, our Educational Resource Teacher.” Ritchie works in all of the Dear classrooms, providing support to the new teachers and keeping staff up-to-date on curriculum initiatives.
The kindergarten teachers recommend students that meet the criteria for the Transition classroom as they prepare to move from kindergarten to first grade.
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