Make best choice for your child
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Editor,
As we approach the new school year, there is still some debate about whether kindergarten classes should be half days or full days. What is truly best for students and how should that impact parents and schools? Are some students ready for a full day of instruction while others just need a nap after lunch? Do parent’s schedules and finances have the final say in this discussion?
At Mission Valley Christian Academy, we partner with parents to provide a Christ centered quality education to prepare lifelong servant leaders. It is our personal philosophy that most kindergartners operate best in a half-day setting. We believe the decision should be made in regard to the child’s best interests rather than the hassle of adult schedules and transportation forcing the issue. However, this year we are giving our families the option to choose half day, full day or a combination of the two in order to best fit the student’s needs. MVCA is fortunate to have smaller numbers of students so we can be flexible in this schedule.
The Polson schools had a lively debate on this subject when the district decided to move to full day kindergarten a number of years ago. It is my understanding that about half the parents intended to just enroll for a half day, but after two months, there were only a few families left enrolled as half-time students. Some parents felt their children would be left out of excellent academic opportunities if they just attended only the morning sessions.
My advice to parents looking at kindergarten (or any other grades) is to be intentional about your decisions in educating your children. The big question is not “where” you have your students attend but “how” invested you are in this process. If a Christ centered education is important to you, how are you reaching that goal? Whatever choice you make, please consider investing more time, energy and financial resources to insure you are giving your child the best education possible.
Chris Bumgarner
Polson
