School Day
Students may enroll for a half- (7:50 am-11:30 am) or full-day (7:50
am-2:30 pm) session. Before registering your child, please read
carefully over the “Guidelines for
Selecting Full-Day or Half-Day Kindergarten.”
If a student wishes to change from half-day to full-day after
registration, this may be done at the end of any month up until Dec.
19. Full-day tuition will be charged when the switch is made.
If a student changes from a full-day to half-day session after
registering, the tuition charge will remain at the full-day rate
until that space is filled by another student.
Curriculum
• The core curriculum is presented during the hours of 7:50-11:30 am
so that the
students in the half-day program receive all core
content required by the
Archdiocese of Cincinnati and state of Ohio.
• The full-day session runs from 7:50 am to 2:30 pm and includes
recess and a lunch
period as in first grade. The second half of the
day (after lunch) includes an extra
recess, center time, extension
activities related to morning lessons, or extra skill
practice.
There is no new information introduced in the afternoon.
• If or when all students select a full-day session, there may be
the opportunity to
elaborate on morning topics and include new
information in the afternoon (this will
allow the opportunity to
extend slightly beyond the kindergarten curriculum toward
the end of
the year).
Included in the curriculum are:
* Religion * Communication Skills * Physical Education
* Writing * Social Studies * Art
* Reading * Science * Music
* Math Readiness * Health & Safety * Computer Education
Additional opportunities throughout the year:
• Guest Speakers/Assemblies
• Everybody Counts
• Field trips
• Student performances
• Faith Fest
• Catholic Schools Week activities
•
School-wide service projects
•
Prayer services
• Book Fair and
Right-to-Read Week activities
Registration
• All children must be registered prior to the start of school. The
$50 registration fee
must be included with the registration form.
• Children entering kindergarten must be 5 years old by Sept. 30.
• Once a child is registered, he/she will be tested by the
kindergarten teachers during
March.
• Children are eligible for early admission testing only if they
turn 5 years of age no later
than Nov. 1. Testing will be
administered by the St. Al’s kindergarten teacher or
school
psychologist to determine eligibility for early entrance.
Registration begins in February and will be accepted until the class
is full or the school year begins. Families are encouraged to
register during the registration week to ensure a spot in the class.
Class openings are filled on a first-come basis according to the
following criteria:
1. Children of active/registered parishioners.
2. Children from families who have changed residence and were
active, registered
participants in another Catholic parish.
3. Children from Catholic families outside the parish.
4. Children of non-Catholic families.
Siblings of current students receive priority in each category.
• A Birth Certificate and Baptismal Record must be presented at the
time of registration
if the child was not baptized in St. Al’s
Parish.
• Medical Records: Before a child may attend any school in the state
of Ohio he/she must
meet the following vaccination requirements:
o four or more doses of DPT
o one rubella vaccine
o four or more doses of polio vaccine
o one measles vaccine
o the second MMR
A record of these vaccines must be submitted to St. Al’s School
before the child will be admitted to class.
Kindergarten Tuition (2008-09)
| Parishioner |
Half-Day $1,750 |
| |
Full-Day
$2,150 |
| Out-of-Parish |
Half-Day $1,850 |
| |
Full-Day
$2,250 |
Full-Day or Half-Day Kindergarten?
How to Decide
The “All-Day” versus “Half-Day” decision can be a difficult one for
many parents. The following guidelines may be helpful in choosing
which would be the more beneficial placement for your child. Our
school psychologist and kindergarten teacher are also excellent
resources if you wish to consult with them. They can be reached
through the school office: 574-4035.
Full-Day Kindergarten
May be the right choice if the following apply to your child:
• Attended preschool or day care. This child who has experienced the
structure and
routines of such a setting will usually adjust more
easily to the 6 ½ hour school day.
Preschool or day care teachers
may have insights and recommendations, which are
most helpful.
•
Eager to learn. The child has an obvious desire to learn about
“school” and its
“subjects.”
•
Independent child. This child adjusts rapidly to new situations,
can care for his/her
personal needs, and can entertain
himself/herself with activities and interests.
•
Alert and active. This child remains alert and physically active
all day. This child
generally has good health.
•
Strong attention span. This child can attend to tasks for longer
periods of time.
He/she willingly concentrates and remains on task
individually or in a group for 20-30
minutes.
•
Recognition of letters and numbers. This child has immediate
recognition of many
letters and numbers from 1 to 10.
•
Good development of fine and gross motor skills. This child can
use scissors,
crayons, manipulate small objects, draw or color
beyond scribbling. Gross motor skills
include jumping, hopping,
balancing, throwing and catching a ball.
Half-Day Kindergarten Session
May be the right choice if the following apply to your child:
• Late birth date.
The children with June, July, August and
September birthdays are
the youngest in the class. Often these
children (especially boys) do not demonstrate
necessary school
readiness, i.e. the ability to learn and to cope with the school
environment without undue stress, and to sustain that level of
learning and coping all
day and every day. These children may be
‘’ready to read” but are not ready for the
whole day school
situation. They manage the academics but at great expense to
another
part of their being—social, emotional, or physical.
•
Play-oriented. This child still needs time during the day for
building social
relationships with other children and for free play.
• Dependent and shy. This child may be hesitant about his/her
abilities, may still cling
to parents, does not cooperate freely
with others, and is shy about performing for
others.
•
Becomes tired during the day. This child still requires a nap or
rest-time during the
morning or afternoon.
•
Physical or health problems. Often when a child is coping with or
adjusting to
frequent problems, he/she has little energy left for
learning. Increasing demands for
learning are a detriment to this
child.
These guidelines are only suggestions for you, the parent, to
consider when making
this all-day or half-day decision. If you have
any questions or concerns you would like
to discuss, please feel
free to call. We all want our children to be happy and
successful in
school and life. For most children that depends on getting started
on
the right foot. Kindergarten is the beginning.