Thanks to a grant from the Rhode Island Department of Education, more than 40 #MiddletownRI kindergartners are getting a jump on school before the first day of classes on Sept. 6.
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CONTACT: Matt Sheley at (401) 842-6543 or msheley@middletownri.com
RIDE GRANT HELPS KINDERGARTENERS GET A JUMP ON SCHOOL
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (AUGUST 21, 2023) – Summer is usually a time for students to let loose a bit and enjoy Second Beach, hanging with friends or playing outside a bit.
However, for educators, it’s also a time where children can forget the books and lessons of the prior year, a phenomenon known as “learning loss,” which can have a tremendous negative impact on student progress.
Recently, the Middletown school system received a close to $56,000 grant from the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) to help push back a bit for some of the district’s youngest students.
As part of the three-week Kindergarten Jumpstart summer enrichment program, five- and six-year-olds were treated to a variety of educational and hands on activities designed to ease their transition into Aquidneck and Forest Avenue elementary schools in September.
“When I saw the opportunity for a kindergarten Jumpstart program through a RIDE grant, I knew the Middletown Public Schools needed to apply for it,” Kindergarten Jumpstart Coordinator Kristin Scala said.
“Since Rhode Island does not yet offer universal preschool, this was a great opportunity to provide an early childhood education learning experience focusing on the Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards with our youngest learners. The main challenge is having a limited number of spots, yet understanding the need to offer and expand early learning opportunities to more students and we’re so thankful to RIDE and everyone else for this wonderful opportunity.”
During Jumpstart which runs from Aug. 7-24, students were greeted with a variety of high-quality lessons and programming. Each day began with a morning arrival with breakfast before moving into “Morning Circle.”
From there, things moved into structured reading activities followed by a snack and lessons in mathematics. Then, there’s a varied play period and story time before dismissal just before lunch.
Staff with the POW! Science! of Wakefield also provides a number of enrichment opportunities, where kindergartners get to experience nature, storytelling, art and more together.
Walking from class to class, Scala said it commonplace to see the students enjoying themselves and exclaiming things like “I love snack time!” and “My favorite part is the playground!”
Michelle Correia said her daughter Lilliana Correia-King goes to Kindergarten Jumpstart at Forest Avenue School and was having an absolute blast.
Correia said Lilliana goes home everyday and tells her family about what she did and who she met — both teachers and students. She also is excited to show her family what she did in school that day, especially her ABC school work pages.
“I think this program is amazing,” Correia said. “I’m glad it exists. I find it very very helpful.”
Aquidneck School parent Megan O’Leary agreed, saying her twins Conor and Luke Eastwood really look forward to everyday.
"They are loving it! They are excited to get on the bus and also to make friends,” O’Leary said.
“They get very excited about the stickers and they feel like they are doing well, so I think the positive feedback they are getting there is making them very comfortable, which will be amazing for them since full days are coming soon. I think just knowing their way around and feeling comfortable in the space prior to it being busier is giving them a great head start.”
Assistant Superintendent Michelle Fonseca said she was proud the district was chosen for Kindergarten Jumpstart and all the outstanding work so far.
“It’s been such a well received program and the feedback from students, staff and parents has been amazing,” Fonseca said. “I know people are probably tired of hearing us say this, but it is truly all about the kids. Anything we can do to help them get a jumpstart and make the transition into kindergarten a little easier, it’s worth it and we can’t thank RIDE enough for their continued support.”
Document Link: https://www.middletownri.com/DocumentCenter/View/9257/NYCU-Jump
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