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77 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, September 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 20, 2004 Griffin Creek kindergarten needs funds to expand hours By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Griffin Creek Elementary School wants to offer all-day kindergarten this year as an option for families willing to pay for it. Last year, the Medford School District started providing all-day instruction for kindergartners at seven elementary schools that serve low-income students. Federal Title 1 funds paid for the extended school day and test results showed the kids excelled with extra instruction. Griffin Creek doesn’t receive Title 1 money it could use to expand instructional time, so Principal Ginny Hicks is appealing to parents to raise the money to cover half a teacher’s salary. She estimates that if 10 to 15 students’ families agree to pay $500 a quarter, their children could attend class all day. The fee would be due at the start of each quarter. For families who can’t afford it or don’t want to pay, half-day kindergarten classes still will be available. Advertisement A first-grade teacher brought the idea to Hicks about two weeks ago after learning about a program in Bend that enabled parents to pay for an extended kindergarten. Hicks found a similar program in Corvallis and wanted to develop one here. "We’re trying to be responsive to parents and do what’s right for kids," she said. She noted that the program would be less expensive than many after-school options. Pupils would get additional instruction in reading, math and science, following the same curriculum used at the district’s other all-day kindergartens. Hicks sent letters to parents of registered kindergartners last week and called homes Thursday to drum up support. By Thursday afternoon, eight families had committed to the program and a few others had expressed interest. Hicks plans to meet with Superintendent Kathy McCollum today to decide if the program can go forward. "The eight who have signed up are very enthusiastic," Hicks said. "One was considering private school to get a full day of kindergarten." Lisa Burt, an English major in college and now mother of four, signed up her son Gentry, 5, for a full day in a flash. "Gentry is so excited about school and getting ready to learn to read," she said. "I asked him if he wanted to do it and he asked if he could start today." Burt also saw how early exposure to academics made a difference in first grade for her two older children and wanted to set number three on the right path. A stay-at-home mom, she said she appreciates not having to make a midday trip to pick up a kindergartner and working parents likely would be even more grateful for a full-day program. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities