Half of Delta’s new kindergarteners next fall will attend school all day as the provincial government phases in its new full day kindergarten program.

The Ministry of Education will fund 50 per cent of kindergarten students starting September 2010 to attend school full day, and all kindergarten students for September 2011.

Delta school district communications manager Kay Thody said at this time the district does not know which schools will be granted full day kindergarten.

“We expect to have that information early in the new year, and certainly—we hope—well in advance of kindergarten registration,” she said.

Thody added the Ministry of Education has asked districts to let them know which schools have the space and staff for full day kindergarten next September.

In addition to available classroom space, schools will be chosen based on the percentage of vulnerable students (determined by Early Developmental Indicators), and the number of currently funded full day kindergarten students such as English as a Second Language and Aboriginal students.

Thody said catchment areas and boundaries will be examined once the district knows which schools will be offering the program.

With regard to French immersion programs, she said although the district has not received a directive from the provincial government, they are working with staff to determine what would be most appropriate for the new French immersion students.

In a presentation to Delta’s board of education, the board was informed the curriculum for full day kindergarten will be an expanded version of the current kindergarten program.

“It will continue to be play based and designed to address all areas of child development: physical, emotional, social, language and cognitive.”

The Ministry of Education has stated kindergarten will remain optional for parents in B.C.

Vicki Harford runs Rainbow Connection kindercare in Pebble Hill Traditional School, as well as Rainbow Bridges daycare adjacent to the property. She is looking at the coming change as a positive opportunity to develop new programs.

Currently, Harford cares for 10 children in her kindercare program, children she would lose should Pebble Hill be chosen as one of the full day kindergarten schools.

“It’s definitely going to impact it because I do kindercare right now, but you know, there are always changes and we’ll just work around it,” Harford said. “And I’m sure something positive will come out of it for everybody.”

n reporter@southdeltaleader.com