Start of full-day kindergarten 'smooth' experience at Beachy Cove Elementary

After months of debate and preparations, full-day kindergarten in Newfoundland and Labrador is a reality

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• Full-day kindergarten a go for fall, promises Dale Kirby

At Beachy Cove Elementary in Portugal Cove, Principal Aubrey Dawe said that so far, the school's hard work and planning seems to be paying off.

"A project of this magnitude requires some advance planning, so we took that very seriously." he said.

The school has 104 kindergarten students in six classes this year, and Dawe said they were able to project enrolment several years ago to make sure they met demand.

"We had to convert three classrooms and we had to do some renovations in them to install washrooms," he said.

The first day of school can be pretty hectic and Dawe said he saw the whole gamut of experiences Wednesday morning.

"[We had] the kids who just came in and took to the experience like ducks to water, and we also had children who were kind of clinging on to their parents," he said.

"But the best route there is for them to leave them with us. It's often harder on the parents because once they've gone through the door, things fall into place and they're swimming along."

As of lunchtime, Dawe said all was calm at the school. 

"It's gone so smooth, I'm just delighted and thrilled," he said.

"It is a brand new experience. We don't know how it's going to unfold, it's new for all of us ... but we're approaching it with a keen sense of optimism."