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Ottawa board adds full-day kindergarten classes

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Author: 
Pearson, Matthew
Format: 
Article
Publication Date: 
30 Sep 2010
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High enrolment at two Ottawa schools has prompted the public school board to add more full-day kindergarten classes.

A sixth kindergarten class at Bayshore Public School and a second at Convent Glen Elementary School in Gloucester bring the number of public school classes offering Ontario's new full-day kindergarten curriculum to 54.

The province funded the school board for 50 classes at 22 schools, but high enrolment has forced the board to add extra classes for a second time. The additional classes will cost the board about $300,000.

There is no hard cap on class sizes for full-day kindergarten, but school boards are required to maintain a systemwide average of 26 students or fewer, which results in a student-to-adult ratio of 13:1.

The board is adding the extra classes after registering classes with more than 30 students and consulting with principals and senior board staff about where additional resources are needed most.

Bayshore has 149 students enrolled, while Convent Glen has 34 students in its one full-day class.

- reprinted from the Ottawa Citizen

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