“We are proud of our full-day kindergarten and believe it to be an outstanding educational option for students. We encourage all families of eligible children to enroll in this exciting program now. See you on campus in the coming school year!”
Holly Edds, Ed.D., Superintendent, Orcutt Union School District
(Everything You Want to Know About Full-Day K)
We are delighted to offer full-day kindergarten once again during the coming 2023-2024 school year! We are enrolling for kindergarten starting March 1st – families are invited to register children who will turn five on or before September 1. The following is intended to be a reference guide for parents on full-day kindergarten in 2023-2024. Please read on for information on the benefits of
this initiative, the schedule, and much more.
Benefits of Full-Day K
Full-day kindergarten, quite simply, will give students a stronger start in school. A full day of learning will help build a strong foundation of reading, writing, and math skills that will lead to
more school success in the future. A full-day schedule also provides more opportunity for socialization and developmental activities.
Benefits of full-day kindergarten recently listed by the National Association of School Psychologists include the following:
- Higher long-term achievement
- Higher test scores
- Higher reading scores in early grades
- More time spent in individualized instruction
- Greater creativity
- Higher self-esteem and independence
- Greater progress in social skills
- A more relaxed, less hurried school day with more varied experiences
- More reinforcement of positive social behaviors
- Fewer grade retentions
What You Can Expect from an Orcutt Kindergarten Class
Our kindergarten classrooms are safe, nurturing environments for students. Students will experience the following:
- Highly qualified, caring, dedicated classroom teachers
- A school principal who is visible, accessible, and responsive
- A rigorous, challenging academic program coupled with time for developmental exploration and play
- Physical education, music, and art classes throughout the week
- Socialization and facilitation of social/emotional growth for students
- Classrooms that include spaces for hands-on learning, developmental play, and centers
- Strong parent-school partnerships and the opportunity for parents to be involved
- Early intervention for struggling students
The district has made an investment in facilities and instructional materials in support of full-day kindergarten. The district also has made a commitment to assign to each kindergarten class an instructional assistant who can support student learning. We feel we have in place all the components for a successful full-day kindergarten program.
The Full-Day K Schedule
The kindergarten school day will be the same length as other grade levels at our elementary and K – 8 schools. Here is the schedule by school:
8:00 am – 2:15 pm – Joe Nightingale, Patterson Road, Pine Grove, and Olga Reed schools
- On Wednesdays, these schools have an “early out” schedule running from 8:00 – 1:00
8:30 am – 2:45 pm – Alice Shaw and Ralph Dunlap schools
- On Wednesdays, these schools have an “early out” schedule running from 8:30 -1:30
8:40 am – 3:00 pm – Orcutt Academy K – 8 campus
- On Wednesdays, OAK – 8 has an “early out” schedule running from 8:40 – 2:00
To allow students at our K-6 schools to adjust to a full day, we will implement a phase-in calendar that starts the year with a shortened school day and gradually lengthens the day until students are on a full-day schedule starting September 7. (Olga Reed and Orcutt Academy in Los Alamos will begin with a full-day schedule.)
Here is the phase-in timeline for the district’s K-6 schools:
8:00 Schools: Joe Nightingale, Patterson Road, Pine Grove
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 14 8:00 – 12:30 First Day of School | August 15 8:00 – 12:30 | August 16 8:00 – 12:30 | ||
| August 19 8:00 – 1:00 | August 20 8:00 – 1:00 | August 21 8:00 – 1:00 | August 22 8:00 – 1:00 | August 23 8:00 – 1:00 |
| August 26 8:00 – 2:15 | August 27 8:00 – 2:15 | August 28 8:00 – 1:00 | August 29 8:00 – 2:15 | August 30 8:00 – 2:15 |
| September 2 NO SCHOOL Labor Day |
8:30 Schools: Alice Shaw, Ralph Dunlap
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 14 8:30 – 1:00 First Day of School | August 15 8:30 – 1:00 | August 16 8:30 – 1:00 | ||
| August 19 8:30 – 1:30 | August 20 8:30 – 1:30 | August 21 8:30 – 1:30 | August 22 8:30 – 1:30 | August 23 8:30 – 1:30 |
| August 26 8:30 – 2:45 | August 27 8:30 – 2:45 | August 28 8:30 – 1:30 | August 29 8:30 – 2:45 | August 30 8:30 – 2:45 |
| September 2 NO SCHOOL Labor Day |
During the phase-in period, the district will make free childcare available to kindergartners between the end of their school day and their school’s dismissal. Childcare will be provided by the district’s Campus Connection Childcare Program. To capitalize on this offer, parents should contact Campus Connection at (805) 938-8950. Please note that parents will need to pay for any childcare that occurs past school dismissal.
Bus Transportation
Like other elementary school students, kindergartners are able to ride the bus to and from school utilizing bus stops designated by the district Transportation Department. The Transportation Department soon will post on the district website its bus stops and schedule for the 2023-2024 school year. Parents/guardians of kindergartners should plan for supervision of their child at the morning bus stop and also should make sure they or a designee is present to receive their child when the bus arrives in the afternoon.
School Meals
Like other elementary school students, kindergartners may partake in breakfast and lunch on campus. All school meals are free, and will be served in “ready to eat” fashion. The district Child Nutrition Program will send out menus and meal information via the district’s Parent Square platform for school-home communication.
Student Safety
As mentioned earlier, Orcutt schools are safe, comfortable places for students, and student safety is the district’s top priority. Teachers work to forge a bond with each of their students and also to foster a sense of community in their classroom. Classroom and school rules and expectations are reviewed with students at the beginning of the year. Students are closely and actively supervised at recesses and mealtimes. Teachers and principals focus on rewarding positive behavior and preventing problems, but they also are ready to set limits and apply appropriate consequences when issues occur. Safety also entails emergency preparedness, and schools regularly hold drills to be ready for a range of emergency situations.
Communication with the Teacher and School
Our school district takes pride in ongoing communication with parents. Early in the school year, parents are invited to attend a Back to School Night at which the teacher outlines plans and expectations for the school year. Additionally, teachers will be scheduling parent-teacher conferences the week of September 25-29. During the conference, teachers share about the student’s progress and converse with parents on goals for the year. This conference is an important opportunity for teachers and parents to establish a partnership.
Schools communicate frequently with parents via the ParentSquare platform for communication. Schools regularly post messages via email and occasionally send out text alerts. ParentSquare also provides Spanish translation for parents.
Transitional Kindergarten
For the 2024-2025 school year, the district’s Transitional Kindergarten program continues for students who turn five between September 2nd and June 2nd. TK classes will continue to be located at each of our elementary campus locations. Starting March 1st, 2024, parents of incoming TK students are invited and encouraged to begin enrolling their children for the upcoming school year!
How to Enroll
To enroll a student for the 2023-2024 school year, click the “Enroll Today!” button.
Questions about enrollment can be addressed to Carol Sutton, csutton@orcutt-schools.net or (805) 938-8946.
Additional Questions
If you have additional questions regarding our full-day kindergarten program, please feel free to contact your school principal. You also may contact the OUSD Educational Services Department at (805) 938-8930.
