Students to celebrate 100th day of school

huber heights schools

william kirby

Many of our youngest students are looking forward to a very special celebration that will occur during the first week of February. They will be celebrating the 100th day of school.

If you have had the opportunity to visit a few of our kindergarten classes, you will see many of the creative teaching strategies utilized by our staff members to turn the 100th day of school into a learning opportunity.

For example, since the beginning of the school year, students have been learning about place value by adding a straw to the chart in the “ones” pocket. Once there are 10 straws in the pocket, they are banded together and moved to the “10s” pocket. After there are 10 groups of 10, the groups will be banded together and moved to the “100s” pocket and the “100-Day Celebration” begins.

In other kindergarten news, the biennial budget signed by Gov. Ted Strickland on July 17 brought about several changes to Ohio’s educational system. One of the more significant changes is the addition of all-day, every-day kindergarten opportunities for all students beginning in August. For many Ohio school districts, including Huber Heights, that currently offer half-day kindergarten classes, this means the addition of kindergarten teachers and the need for additional classroom space.

Knowing that the personnel and space requirements for all-day, every day kindergarten would present a substantial challenge for many districts, the Ohio Department of Education is allowing districts to request a waiver that permits the district to push back the offering of all-day, every-day kindergarten to the fall of 2011.

On Jan. 14, the Huber Heights Board of Education passed a resolution permitting the request for the delay of all-day, every-day kindergarten until the fall of 2011. Our plan for providing all-day, every-day kindergarten includes the completion of five new elementary schools with the classroom capacity to accommodate all-day kindergarten classes.

We are looking forward to the opportunity to provide all-day, every-day kindergarten to our community’s children and the completion of our new schools will provide the necessary classroom space.

William Kirby is superintendent of Huber Heights Schools. Contact him at (937) 237-6300 or William. Kirby@huberheightscity schools.org.