Kindergarten report card will be revised by district

Kindergarten report card
will be revised by district

ENGLISHTOWN — A new kindergarten report card was expected to be approved by the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education this week.

The report card was discussed by the board’s committee of the whole at a meeting held Nov. 28.

According to Dr. Robert Weiner, assistant superintendent of curriculum, "The new report cards would reflect the whole new kindergarten program. There is a new reading program that we’re using and the mathematics program is being elevated so that our students can interact with mathematics at a higher level. We are (also) trying to move ahead with the science and social studies component."

The report card was developed by all of the kindergarten teachers, administrators and supervisors in the primary schools, according to Weiner.

"There were a lot of different opinions and people had different ideas as to what they wanted to do," he said. "But there was a larger need to create a kindergarten report card that would reflect what our kindergarten program was like."

The new report cards have color pictures and have been reorganized to reflect how a 5-year-old is doing in school. Each report card will be school specific and will be designed with the name of the particular school, principal and assistant principal and school year on the cover.

"I think the new report cards are more teacher-friendly and reader-friendly," said Stephanie Kuhns, assistant principal at Clark Mills School. "I think the language is easier to understand and comprehend (compared to) the other report card which was ambiguous."

Board member Anthony Musich said he liked the report card, but wanted to know what will happen in the future when it has to be revised.

Responding to the question, Weiner told the committee the report card can be changed without any problems since it is in the district’s computer system.

"But this will probably stay with us for a period of time," said the assistant superintendent. "We can make any changes to reflect our program and that can be done relatively easily."

The new kindergarten report cards, once approved by the board, will be printed and ready for distribution by mid-year.

Additionally, the new kindergarten curriculum will be mailed to the committee of the whole (Dec. 6) and will be presented to that committee on Dec. 12. The school board will then be given the opportunity to approve the new kindergarten curriculum on Dec. 19 at its regular meeting.