Catholic board begins offering full-time/day kindergarten programs

News Release

“St. Michael’s School is excited to offer a full-time/full-day Kindergarten program. This enriched learning environment will provide a solid foundation for success in school and in life for our young children,” states Director of Education, Mary-Catherine Kelly. “The expanded program will have a Certified Teacher and a registered Early Childhood Educator working together in the Junior Kindergarten classroom to help students engage and grow in a first class learning environment,” commented Al Cesiunas, Superintendent of Education. Anne-Marie Fitzgerald, Board Chair, said that, “This will complement the school’s outstanding full time Senior Kindergarten program currently being offered at the school.”
The Ministry of Education has now approved the $622,756 funding in June 2011 to address the capital needs related to the implementation of Phase 2 of the Full Day Kindergarten at St. Michael’s School. The Board’s architect, H. Bradford Green will proceed with the expansion of kindergarten classrooms at St. Michael’s School this spring.
The Board will renovate 2 existing classrooms with an addition of 360 square feet on the North wall of the building. This will increase the usable square footage of the classrooms to 926 sq. ft.. There will also be a requirement for minor renovations to two other areas of the school to accommodate the NSL, Speech and Special Education programs.
The 2 newly selected kindergarten classrooms for additional full day programming are immediately across the corridor from existing washrooms, so the plumbing will be less costly, and doesn’t involve a municipal variance. However, the existing portable classroom will likely have to be moved, and a storage building demolished and replaced in order to maintain fire separation.
Superintendent of Business Chris Howarth stated, “It’s exciting to be involved in the school construction once again. The project will provide an excellent learning environment for full day kindergarten pupils at St. Michaels School.”
The Northwest Catholic District School Board will now offer the full day JK/SK at St. Michael’s School in Fort Frances and at St. Patrick’s School in Atikokan through Ministry funding. The Board also offers full day JK/SK learning at Our Lady of the Way School (Stratton) and at St. Joseph’s School (Dryden) via existing school board funding. Director Kelly says that, “We know that the students and families of our region will benefit from these full day JK/SK programs.”