Photo credit: News & Tribune

For the fourth year, Green Valley Elementary is offering Begindergarten - an early kindergarten experience made possible through a joint effort with Metro United Way and New Albany Floyd County Schools. The program is designed for children who have not had a preschool experience. As Principal, I have seen a great benefit to our students who participate in this wonderful four week summer program.

Children who attend Begindergarten are given the chance to adjust to being at 'school' in a smaller class size than a traditional classroom of 18-28 students. This exposure allows not only the child to learn new procedures and routines, but it provides the teacher more time to spend with each child and develop a relationship and work with the child on early academic skills.

Photo credit: Courier-Journal

At Green Valley Elementary, we serve a high percentage of families that qualify for the free and reduced lunch program, and some of these families do not have the fortune of sending their children to a true preschool. Begindergarten is helping fill this need. By the end of the program, students are more confident about being in kindergarten, and these students are actually becoming leaders when the official school year starts.

We have tracked these students academically in reading, and students who have participated in this program have shown a stronger reading level compared to their peers. Results from pre and post tests showed that, on average, the students increased their knowledge by 31%. In comparison to results from similar programs across Indiana, Green Valley Begindergarten ranked fourth highest in the entire state in overall improvement of kindergarten readiness scores.

My gratitude goes to the people who have supported this program and to Metro United Way!

For more information on the importance of kindergarten readiness in our community, visit HERE.

Dr. Brian Kehrer has been the Principal of Green Valley Elementary School in New Albany, Indiana since 2014 after serving as Assistant Principal from 2010 - 2014. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University, Masters from Oakland City University, and Doctorate from Indiana State University. He's married with two children and a Christian.