Think of it as they gave a meeting and nobody came.
Or at least, not enough came.
The Riverbank school board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5 was canceled due to three board members missing and the board not having a quorum. Board member Elizabeth Mesa had been excused by prior arrangement; trustees John Mitchell and Steve Walker had not reported in and did not attend the meeting. Since three board members were missing the panel was unable to conduct business as usual. But a few presentations on the agenda continued and one of the topics of interest was the possibility of offering a full day of kindergarten. No action was taken on items due to the lack of a quorum.
Riverbank Unified School District staff members have been sharing ideas and discussing the possibility of offering families a full day of kindergarten, official said. After several conversations about the challenges and benefits regarding a full day of kindergarten, the staff has a plan.
Currently, kindergarten and transitional kindergarten students attend class for half a day. If the change to a full day of kindergarten occurs it would begin for the 2013-2014 school year. During the discussions the staff agreed that this will give the students more opportunities to learn and more opportunities to engage in music, physical education, and the arts. A full day of class may also provide families assistance with managing their childcare expenses.
The proposed idea is still in the beginning stages, RUSD officials added. They will notify the families when they enroll their children on Feb. 21 that a full day of kindergarten may be offered, depending on action taken by the board. Another factor that they will first consider is class size and what kind of support the current kindergarten teachers may need, along with the financial implications for the district. The RUSD staff will continue to collaborate with principals, teachers, and possibly the after school staff to determine whether a full day of kindergarten will be a possibility. District Superintendent, Dr. Daryl Camp, said he has plans to meet with the elementary school principals and kindergarten teachers in the near future.
"My intent is to schedule meetings...to have more conversations on what this could look like and to see what will we have to do to maximize the learning opportunities for our kids," stated Dr. Camp.
Or at least, not enough came.
The Riverbank school board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5 was canceled due to three board members missing and the board not having a quorum. Board member Elizabeth Mesa had been excused by prior arrangement; trustees John Mitchell and Steve Walker had not reported in and did not attend the meeting. Since three board members were missing the panel was unable to conduct business as usual. But a few presentations on the agenda continued and one of the topics of interest was the possibility of offering a full day of kindergarten. No action was taken on items due to the lack of a quorum.
Riverbank Unified School District staff members have been sharing ideas and discussing the possibility of offering families a full day of kindergarten, official said. After several conversations about the challenges and benefits regarding a full day of kindergarten, the staff has a plan.
Currently, kindergarten and transitional kindergarten students attend class for half a day. If the change to a full day of kindergarten occurs it would begin for the 2013-2014 school year. During the discussions the staff agreed that this will give the students more opportunities to learn and more opportunities to engage in music, physical education, and the arts. A full day of class may also provide families assistance with managing their childcare expenses.
The proposed idea is still in the beginning stages, RUSD officials added. They will notify the families when they enroll their children on Feb. 21 that a full day of kindergarten may be offered, depending on action taken by the board. Another factor that they will first consider is class size and what kind of support the current kindergarten teachers may need, along with the financial implications for the district. The RUSD staff will continue to collaborate with principals, teachers, and possibly the after school staff to determine whether a full day of kindergarten will be a possibility. District Superintendent, Dr. Daryl Camp, said he has plans to meet with the elementary school principals and kindergarten teachers in the near future.
"My intent is to schedule meetings...to have more conversations on what this could look like and to see what will we have to do to maximize the learning opportunities for our kids," stated Dr. Camp.
