The youngest learners in Waterloo Region’s public schools will now be starting off the year all at once.
The board has decided to do away with the practice of staggered starts for Kindergarten students.
In the past, kindergarteners would begin their school year on different days to ease the transition.
Waterloo Region District School Board now recommends families arrive early on the first day to make the big moment run a little smoother.
Stephanie De Jesus says her son Evan has already looked through his new school before he starts junior Kindergarten on Sept. 3.
“It’s to give them a bit of time to get used to the idea,” she said. “On the first day everybody’s there for the whole day.”
De Jesus says the staggered starts helped her older son Dylan when he started at Mackenzie King Public School in Kitchener two years ago.
Now Dylan says he doesn’t care when he starts, only if his best friend will be there.
“What if he’s in a different grade one class?” He said.
De Jesus adds that she’s confident Evan will do well whether he has a staggered start or not.
“He already has a buddy so that helps,” she said. “You see them grow up in front of your eyes so that can be a little emotional, but I think I’ll handle it better than the first time.”
Parents and kindergarteners are also allowed to visit their schools a few days early and walk around the playground to get a feel for the area.
