If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

How many kids ar in the class and how many teachers/helpers.
What time do they eat lunch ?

Originally we we told they'll have 26 kids max in each K class and one teacher, lunch at 12 or so. But yesterday was meet the teacher and we were told there are 30 kids in DD's class, so they have a teacher and a helper (but only DD's class since it's gifted and talented program, the other 3 have 25 kids each and 1 teacher) seems like a lot of kids no?
But what surprised me the most is that lunch is at 10:30
so school starts at 8:05 , they eat lunch at 10:30 , they have snack around 1:30 I think, they get out at 2:20. Today was the first full day and she came home starving. I did see on the news yesterday that lots of NYC public schools have early lunch, some as early as 9:30 am (how is 9:30 am considered lunch time I have no idea, lol) but I was hoping since K kids are still so young they would have lunch later.guess not...

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

There are 17 children in my son's kindergarten class. There is only one teacher per class. There are four kindergarten classes in his school with 17 kids per class. Originally there were only supposed to be three classes but they added an additional teacher over the summer. I am very thankful the district did that. I am not sure what time he has lunch but I do know they have both lunch and snack. I have to send in both of them packed separately.

ETA: At our school there are two lunch periods offered. One for grades k-2 and the other for 3-6. The k-2 has lunch first.

Message edited 9/7/2012 7:04:59 PM.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

DS was in Kindergarten last year. He had 20 kids in his class with one teacher and a helper. He ate lunch at 1:00 and had a snack in the morning.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

My daughter has 18 rght now, and my son had 16 a few yrs ago

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

I am pretty sure 30 in a class is illegal in kindergarten. 25 is the cap unless there is an aide

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

NYC schools are crazy, I am a teacher there. I've seen lunches at 10:15 and lunches at 1:15. I would send a a substantial snack for her with a protein such as yogart or string cheese, and either a bag of crackers or fruit to help her stay full. Use a cooler and remember an extra drink.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

Last year DS had around 21 children in the class. He started with 19 and 2 were added, I think.

There was 1 teacher, a para, a grandma helper, and a student teacher. The student teacher was only there part of the year.

ETA: Last year they had lunch at 1:10, and snack at 11. This year I'm not sure when they have snack but lunch is at 12:10. I remember having early lunch in school. I think it does start at 10:30.

Message edited 9/7/2012 7:36:29 PM.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

Message edited 9/7/2012 7:41:57 PM.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

I am a Kinder teacher in NYC. I have 26 and I'm all alone. Yes, anything over 25 is SUPPOSED to get a half-day assistant but I don't. It's just one the MANY things we have to deal with. As for lunch, my kids eat 3rd period which is from 10:35-11:25. We have a working snack in the afternoon.

If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

I researched NYC G&T quite extensively for my DS (we decided to keep him in private school), but I remember reading G&T classes can be larger than general ed. I don't know if 30 is allowed though. You should certainly look into it.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

Message edited 9/8/2012 9:21:24 AM.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

Posted by stinger

Posted by Bobfan24

I researched NYC G&T quite extensively for my DS (we decided to keep him in private school), but I remember reading G&T classes can be larger than general ed. I don't know if 30 is allowed though. You should certainly look into it.

MY kids are both in G&T in a Queens school. In K and 1st grade the max by DOE for ANY class is 28 (I learned this 2 years ago by calling the DOE because I was upset that they added 4 kids to DDs class). The man on the phone told me G&T classes do better with larger classes than gen ed.

Because we are in a high demand school for G&T, they did max out the classes at 28 in the lower grades. For 2-5 the max is 32. I don't know how the teachers do it, G&T or not.

The gen ed class in 2nd grade this year is only 18-20 (zoned students and those with siblings). However, the Principal is getting funding PER student, so of course if there is demand for her school for the G&T classes, why wouldn't she max them out? The other G&T in our districts (2 of them are not maxed).

Call your DISTRICT office as well as the DOE to check and/or complain.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

There are 20 kids in my daughter's class, including her. School is 9:30-3:30. She has lunch 11:45-12:25, snack 2:45 in classroom.

I do not believe she has any helpers in her classroom.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

20 kids 2 teachers and one aide. NYC public K non G&T class.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

This year G & T is overfilled to the brim!! In our school, there are 30 kids in K G & T this year. There is an assistant though. I know of a lot of people who didn't get their first or even second choice of school because there were so many kids were going for the test. My son is is second grade G & T and there are 29 in his class, no assistant.

Also remeber, Forest Hills and Rego Park are literally BURSTING with kids!! I wouls say it is worse than any other neighborhood! Schools in FH especially are some of the best in the city so there is a result for you!

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

22 with one teacher, no full time assistants, but I was told by my DD that someone pops in periodically to help pass things out, etc. Lunch and recess are from 11:30 to 12:25, snack around 2ish I think.

We are not NYC public schools though, and are not G&T (never heard of G&T K to be honest)

Message edited 9/9/2012 8:01:40 AM.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

Message edited 9/8/2012 5:21:06 PM.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

My DD was in K last year, but not G&T and not in NYC. There were 23 in her class and she had 1 aide. They had lunch at 11am. School started at 9:30. I thought it was absurd to have lunch so early...how could they possibly be hungry yet since they were only having breakfast around 8. DD rarely finished her lunch. I guess that is why they went to giving them a snack later on, which was anywhere between 1:30-2:30 depending on the scheduling of their "specials".

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

Robbie had 20 in his class and Noah had 25. They started school at 9am, had snack around 10:30, recess around 12 and lunch around 12:30 if I am remembering correctly. But they are on Long Island and our gifted program starts in 4th grade and it's a co-curricular program rather than having a separate class just for gifted kids.

I guess your program feels that gifted kids don't need the same kind of direct teacher attention that typical kids do.

Message edited 9/9/2012 9:34:12 AM.

Re: If your kid goes to public school kindergarten

I'm prett sure there were 19 kids. They had one teacher, one assistant and one aide. They also had someone who was a one-on-one for a kid in the class with albinism. They had a mid morning snack, then lunch an their day finished at 2:45 and DS would have a snack after school.