Rocky Hill Mayor Vasel Issues Proclamation Celebrating Start of All-Day Kindergarten

Mayor Henry Vasel issued a proclamation asking town residents to join him in celebrating the start of all-day kindergarten this year. The Town Council approved the adoption of all-day kindergarten in May. Many other public school system have recently switched to all-day kindergarten or are currently debating it.

Whereas, on May 19, 2014 the Rocky Hill Town Council approved the adoption of an All-Day

Kindergarten program to begin in the 2014-2015 school year at West Hill and Stevens Elementary

Schools; and

Whereas, kindergarten originated in the early 19th century, Friedrich Froebel, who deemed the term

kindergarten, illustrated children as plants and teachers as gardeners, kinder- signifying child and -

garten implying garden; and

Whereas, by 1914 every major city in the United States had established public kindergarten. The merge

between the kindergarten and first grade programs created a more rapid development of skills to

prepare children for academic success. During the 1980s, advancements began to transform

kindergarten into a traditional, full-day program, related to changes in American society; and

Whereas, in all-day kindergarten classrooms, teachers have greater opportunities to build stronger

relationships with the children as well as identify and address learning challenges earlier, increasing

the odds that children will be more successful. Full-day programs encourage cognitive development as

well as physical and social development; and

Whereas, according to the October 2012 student census data, a full-day kindergarten program provides

900 hours of actual schoolwork for a minimum of 180 days and approximately 74% of Connecticut

kindergarteners are enrolled in full-day programs

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, I, Henry Vasel, Mayor of the Town of Rocky Hill, call upon

all residents to join me in celebrating the merge to an All-Day Kindergarten program, an important key

for development of the children in Rocky Hill and their families – a program that impacts children and

their learning experiences for greater success in their future.

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