Hilton Central Schools' Full-Day Kindergarten: Parent/Guardian letters mailed Feb. 26, 2010

Online Kindergarten Registration Information

The registration informational letters from the Hilton Central School District to all eligible district families were mailed Feb. 26, 2010 by the Office of Census/Central Registration.  If you did not receive a letter by the week of March 1-6, 2010, please call the Census/Central Registration Clerk Dawn Blodgett at 585-392-1000 ext. 7031.  Kindergarten Registration Information

Full-Day Program  Hilton School District opened a Full-Day Kindergarten Program in September 2004. Pre-kindergarten opened in 2007.   All schools have full-day kindergarten programs.  "Full-Day Kindergarten gives us the gift of time," said Heide Gombatto, kindergarten teacher at Northwood Elementary School.  New, full-day kindergarten classrooms have been constructed at both the Village and Northwood Elementary Schools as a result of the Capital Project.   Visit a Full-Day Kindergarten web site  

Eligibility  Children whose fifth birthday falls on or before December 1 following the start of the school year in September are eligible to attend kindergarten.  If you have a four or five-year old who will be attending kindergarten and do not receive a letter from the District, please call or email District Census at 585-392-1000 ext. 7031 to have your name entered on the mailing list.  For information on preschool screening for possible developmental delays, please call Learning Support Services at 585-392-1000 ext. 6071.  For registration information: 392-1000 ext. 6100 [Quest; ext. 5197 [Village]; and ext. 4526 [Northwood].  Note: all students living in any area of the district are eligible to attend Quest Elementary School.  

Mission Statement Full Day Kindergarten  The full day kindergarten program in the Hilton Central School District has been created to give the gift of time for more guided practice, more hands-on learning, more inquiry, as well as more self-development while still following the standards, curriculum and creativity of New York State, Hilton and the kindergarten teachers.  The full day kindergarten program was created by Hilton Central School kindergarten teachers who looked at many resources to create this program.  The full day kindergarten program challenges the academic growth, creativity and inquiring mind while helping to develop a love of learning which starts students on the path of lifelong learning.  Each child will be able to grow, learn and be challenged socially and academically as well as be encouraged in the area of character education.  It allows for teacher and child individuality as well as providing common denominators for all.  It allows for growth and change as the program evolves.   

Program Elements in Full-Day Kindergarten The Full-Day Kindergarten Program in the Hilton Central School District allows our students the gift of time: time for hands-on-learning, time for guided practice, time for exploration, time for self-development, and time for social interaction.  The program follows the New York State Standards and the district curriculum while at the same time encouraging the creativity of Kindergarten teachers and students.  The Kindergarten program promotes academic growth, creativity, and the inquiring mind while helping to develop the love of learning within all students that is the foundation for lifelong learning.  Each child will be able to grow, learn, and be challenged socially and academically.  Children begin to acquire the knowledge and skills essential to learning.  Children of different abilities, talents, interests, and backgrounds work and play together in an environment that is both nurturing and challenging.  Kindergarten begins each child’s journey on the learning path in the Hilton Central School District.  

What might a  “typical” day Look Like?  While each Kindergarten class will have its own personality, there will be common elements across the program.  In a typical day, you might expect your child to be engaged in a class meeting where calendar activities are done, a morning message is read and discussed, and where there is opportunity to play with words and sounds through singing, finger plays and poetry.  There will be an ample time allotted to reading and writing workshops, including opportunities for individualized and group instruction, independent work, and centers.  While having a snack, your child might listen to a story, then begin working on a math lesson.  Following lunch, your child might have a quiet rest time in class, then resume working in math workshop, go to Art, Music, or PE, then return to the classroom to work in exploratory centers, perhaps including art, drama, housekeeping, sand/ water, blocks, social studies, or science.  End of the day activities might include a meeting to review the activities of the day, interactive reading and writing, word play, and sharing.   Having the full day will allow students more time to explore the kindergarten curriculum.   

Transition to full-day kindergarten from home and preschool  Each of the elementary schools offers special events to acquaint Kindergarteners and their families to Kindergarten.  Among these are opportunities to visit the classroom and meet the teacher prior to the start of school, to get on a school bus, informational programs, and first day of school teas.  Starting your child off on the right foot is important to all of us, and our Kindergarten teachers plan many special activities in the classroom to help students feel comfortable and help them gain familiarity with their new school.

Signs of a good Kindergarten classroom  Children are playing and working with a variety of materials participating in block building, pretend play, and painting. Children develop their fine and gross motor skills; read to and interact with books every day; work in small groups, whole group settings, and individually. Children’s individual needs are met. Children and their parents look forward to school and are happy.   By the end of kindergarten, students will see themselves as readers and writers; recognize math in their everyday lives; begin to use the language of mathematics; question why things exist and how they work; show an interest in the world around them; interact positively with others; recognize and respect diversity; share and cooperate with others; listen courteously and respond to others; speak to different audiences; and exhibit pride in creating.