Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Full-Day Kindergarten in the North Penn School District

 

WHAT IS THE VISION OF KINDERGARTEN IN NPSD?

The North Penn School District will implement a full-day kindergarten program in the district for ALL students. Our program will provide a strong foundation in literacy, mathematics, and social and emotional learning. Students will be afforded increased opportunities to engage in all content areas such as art, music, physical education, library, social studies and science. We believe all students can and will learn in a caring, nurturing environment so that each student is educated to their fullest potential.

WHY FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN?

There is a great deal of educational research and student experiences that support FDK, including:

  • There has been a tremendous shift in the Pennsylvania Core Standards resulting in a deeper emphasis on rigorous academics at a younger age. What students need to know in kindergarten and first grade is greatly different than it was 10 years ago.
  • Students need the opportunity to collaborate with their peers in developmentally appropriate activities that will support their social and emotional learning. It is important that our kindergarten students have more time to establish relationships with classmates and adults in order to be successful in school and beyond.
  • Finally, we need to ensure that ALL students are reading at a proficient level by third grade.

 

WHAT WILL KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS LEARN?

  • Children will build foundational reading and writing skills.
  • Children will develop an understanding of math concepts and problem solving while establishing number sense.
  • Children will experience expanded opportunities in science, social studies, art, music, library and physical education
  • Children will develop effective social, emotional, character and behavioral habits.
  • Children will experience developmentally appropriate instructional practices including purposeful play, hands-on learning, peer collaboration and technology integration.

 

HOW WILL MY CHILD SPEND HIS/HER DAY?

A full day of school is a total of 390 minutes. Below, you will find the breakdown of what will take place during these 390 minutes. Please note that this is simply an explanation of instructional minutes in no particular order and not an actual schedule.

35 minutes - Arrival/Morning Meeting/Exploration 
110 minutes - English/Language Arts (ELA), including 40 minutes of word work, 45 minutes of reading and 25 minutes of writing
40 minutes - Recess, 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon
30 minutes - Lunch
20 minutes - STAR (Strategic teaching and reinforcement) 
60 minutes - Math
45 minutes - Special Areas including rotations of Physical Education, Music, Art and Library
30 minutes - Content including Social Studies and Science
10 minutes - Snack
10 minutes - Dismissal

WHAT ARE THE HOURS FOR FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN?

Our full day kindergarten will run every day, five days a week. Kindergarten hours are the same hours as students in Grades 1-6. The hours for Bridle Path and Walton Farm are 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. Gwyn-Nor, Gwynedd Square, Hatfield, Inglewood, Knapp, Kulp, Montgomery, Nash, North Wales, Oak Park, and York Ave. hours are 9:10 am to 3:40 pm.

HOW DO I REGISTER MY CHILD FOR KINDERGARTEN?

Students must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2023 to enter kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year. NPSD school policy does not allow exceptions to this date. Visit the registration page for more information,

The kindergarten registration period runs February 1, 2023-March 31, 2023. It's now even easier to register since it's now all done online. Here are some helpful tips when registering:

  • Register using your desktop as our mobile capability isn't quite ready yet.
  • Remember to select the 23-24 school year on the registration application when registering your kindergarten student for the 2023-2024 school year. 
  • Be sure to have all the necessary documentation ready when you begin the registration process so you can complete the process in one approximate 30-minute session. Click here for everything you will need. 
  • Once you enter your first and last name, birth date, email and system code, a 5-digit application number will appear on your screen, be sure to save this number as it is very important in order to access your application in the case you need to make changes. 
  • Once you complete your application, always remember to save and submit! 
     

WHO CAN I CONTACT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION?

Contact Dr. Mike McKenna, Chief Academic Officer, by email at [email protected].