The First Day Of School

By Michelle Cyr-Whiting

Kieran Greenberg is set for his first day of Kindergarten

Prince George, B.C. -  It's back-to-school for an estimated 13,555 students in School District 57 today...

While five-year-old Kieran Greenberg is excited to head off to Kindergarten at Foothills Elementary School, he doesn't actually begin until tomorrow.  Kieran is one of the 554 local students enrolled in the first offering of five-day-a-week, full-day Kindergarten. 

Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid says a little over half of all five-year-olds province-wide -- just over 21-thousand -- are taking part in the full-day program this year, using existing space.  Next year, she says, the program will expand to accomodate all eligible five-year-olds, approximately 40-thousand children.  The provincial government is spending $280-million dollars to bring full-day Kindergarten online.

Foothills, and other SD57 schools offering full-day K this year, are transitioning the students in over a two week period, with the first 'full' day set for September 17th. 

If you ask Kieran what he's most looking forward to about school, you get a host of silly answers -- because he's a real character -- but he seems most excited about taking part in gym, reading stories and doing crafts.  (Photo at left shows this soon-to-be kindergartener with his much-loved pet, Trinket)

In a news conference with northern media last week, the Education Minister said the curriculum for Kindergarten is not expanding -- the full day program is just meant to give teachers more time to cover the requirements more completely.

His mom, Rebekah Greenberg, is taking a 'wait-and-see' approach to make sure the full days work for him.  She's concerned five-hours-a-day, five-days-a-week may be just too much and, says she's spoken with a couple of former teachers who feel her concerns are warranted. 

Greenberg says it's her understanding that school and district officials will work with a family to find a compromise if that turns out to be the case...and she plans to pursue that avenue, if it becomes necessary.

She emphasizes she's not expecting "the worst", but she's just not heading into the year with the mindset that "he has to go all day, even if he's miserable."

She wants Kieran's experience to be a positive one, as he embarks on the many years of schooling that lie ahead.

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