The Garden City School District recently hosted representatives from area pre-schools to hear about the full-day kindergarten program which began this year. Representatives from many local pre-schools viewed the presentation and participated in a round-robin discussion focused on early childhood education.

Garden City Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Robert Feirsen began the meeting by highlighting all of the change that early childhood education has undergone in the last decade and thanked the representatives for doing such a wonderful job preparing students for kindergarten. Dr. Marylou McDermott, assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, introduced the presentation and emphasized that understanding the developmental readiness of each student is the key to the success of the district's kindergarten program. Dr. McDermott also stressed that the development of essential literacy and mathematics skills are the main academic components of the kindergarten curriculum. The program remains committed to providing students with many opportunities to learn through "hands-on" activities and structured play.

The primary principals, Ms. Linda Norton, Hemlock principal; Dr. Suzanne Viscovich, Homestead principal; and Mr. Matthew Gaven, Locust principal, along with representatives from the kindergarten faculty, then presented an overview of the full-day kindergarten program. The presentation emphasized kindergarten readiness skills and the daily 80-minute block of time devoted to literacy. Mrs. Rose Huntington, Locust kindergarten teacher, described science and social studies instruction at the kindergarten level. Mrs. Paula Hogan, Hemlock kindergarten teacher, spoke about the developmental differences of each child, while Mrs. Lori Palladino, Homestead kindergarten teacher, highlighted the program's emphasis on conceptual understanding in mathematics instruction.

Susan Kosser, interim director of Pupil Personnel Services, spoke about special education at the primary school. Eileen Fredericks, CSE chairperson, and Patricia Milone, CPSE chairperson, described the transition from pre-school special education services (CPSE) to the district's special education (CSE) program.

After the presentation, attendees participated in an engaging discussion about issues relating to the transition from pre-school to kindergarten. Dr. Feirsen summarized the day's events stating, "this important opportunity for dialogue was valuable from both the pre-school and district perspective. We look forward to continuing our discussion at future meetings."