St. Johns Public Schools has implemented a combined young 5's and kindergarten classroom at Eureka Elementary this school year due to low kindergarten enrollment.
- The combined classroom follows a special school board meeting decision made last month.
- Only a small number of the 23 students in the class are young 5's students.
- The teacher focuses on kindergarten curriculum while providing additional support for younger students.
WATCH: St. Johns combines young 5's and kindergarten classes at Eureka Elementary
I reported on a special meeting held by St. Johns Public School Board about a month ago where this decision was made, and now it's affecting students in my neighborhood.
During that special meeting, the school board voted to combine the kindergarten and young 5's classroom at Eureka Elementary due to low kindergarten enrollment numbers.
St. Johns resident Monique Jorae-Feldpausch sent her daughter Fynn back to school this week in the new combined classroom.
"Oh, I was just super happy. I was just really happy because it gives her the opportunity to learn from the older kids. Plus it gives her more time to understand the curriculum," Jorae-Feldpausch said.
Kaylin Ewald, Fynn's teacher in the newly combined classroom, explained how learning works with two different grade levels together.
"So we're all focused in on the kindergarten curriculum. For those young fives, I'll pinpoint more of that differentiation, that scaffolding. If they need need to slow down the pace then I can help them in their small group time," Ewald said.
Ewald noted that out of the 23 students in her class, just a small handful make up the young 5's students.
When asked if this situation still provides the young 5's experience, Jorae-Feldpausch responded positively.
"I think it might even be better because she does have the older kids to kinda look toward, and she knows what she's going into next year," she said.
In a conversation last month, Superintendent Berthiaume stated the district is working on their kindergarten recruiting efforts for next school year.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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