Changes to half day kindergarten at Finn next year

Above: Finn school will try a “blended” approach to kindergarten next year (photo via finn.nsboro.k12.ma.us)

Enrollment in half-day kindergarten at Finn has been on the decline in past years, and with only eight children signed up to start as half-day students next fall, Superintendent Charles Gobron said they’ve decided to make some changes to the program.

Gobron told the K-8 School Committee at their meeting last month the eight half-day students will be “blended” into two full-day classrooms. Students attending half day will leave before lunch, while the remainder of the students will continue with their school day.

Kindergarten teachers will provide the typical half-day curriculum to their entire class during the morning hours, Finn Principal James Randell said.

Randell said a benefit of the change is that it will enable parents to more easily transition from half-day to full-day kindergarten midway through the school year if they choose to do so, because their child would remain in the same classroom. “Most of the parents were actually happy about that option,” he said.

Full-day kindergarten at Finn costs $3,000 for the 2013-2014 school year. Half-day kindergarten is provided at no cost.

Northborough moved to a blended model for kindergarten two years ago, and Gobron said the change has worked out “quite well.”

As for whether Southborough will see similar success with its blended classrooms, Gobron told the school committee, “We’ll see how it goes.”