Two parents made separate recommendations to the Warsaw School Board Monday night.
Michelle Yeager wants Warsaw to continue to offer a half-day kindergarten program, while Dana Koors requested the elementary schools return to having two recesses a day.
Yeager lives in the Washington Elementary School district, and her son is in the half-day kindergarten program there.
On behalf of the parents of students in the program, Yeager said it is the collective belief that the kids in the program are flourishing. She thanked the school board for offering the half-day kindergarten as a choice for parents.
“I encourage you to keep offering this option,” she said.
The students have a wonderful principal, Tom Ray, a wonderful teacher and are a good group of students, she said.
Kindergarten Round-Up for Warsaw Schools is Thursday at each elementary school from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Warsaw Schools will determine by March whether or not to continue its half-day kindergarten program based on the number of students who are signed up for it. Currently, Warsaw only offers one class of half-day kindergarten, held at Washington. This school year is the first year Warsaw has offered full-day kindergarten, and most parents signed up their students for full-day.
Koors said her son attends full-day kindergarten at Madison Elementary. She requested that Warsaw reinstate the second recess, which has been cut at most of the elementary schools.
She listed many benefits of recess and physical activity, including the social and emotional benefits. She also handed out information to the board.
About two dozen parents also attended the meeting to support Koors’ request.
Jennifer Tandy, school board president, said the board will take Koors’ thoughts into consideration and get back to her at the March 26 board meeting.
Dr. Craig Hintz, superintendent, said there was a change this year regarding recess. The recess eliminated at some schools was the second one in the afternoon. Not all schools had a second recess.
The recess most Warsaw elementaries have kept is the 30- to 40-minute recess that is part of the lunch hour.
