Ramstein opens full-day kindergarten

***image1******image2***This school year, kindergarteners at Ramstein Elementary School come to school for a full day, instead of the half days that have been a tradition at the school. 

Additionally, first and second grade classroom pupil/teacher ratios have been reduced to an average of 18:1. 

This educational milestone for RES is a result of the Department of Defense Education Activity Early Childhood Initiative, which began five years ago across the system. 

In order to implement this program in every school, money had to be available for adding classrooms to elementary schools, as well as hiring additional teachers to take on the new requirements. 

The system could not do all of this at once, so schools were selected to implement this program based on construction needs, with those having the greater needs coming later in order to have time for the construction.

RES construction projects were completed on schedule this summer, and the additional teachers were hired over the summer. 
Teachers attended special trainings in August to prepare them for the reduced PTR and full-day kindergarten. 

They received training from outstanding stateside consultants who are experts in Early Childhood Education. 

Materials and furniture were also purchased for this major project.
Now all schools in the Kaiserslautern District are enjoying all the benefits of the Early Childhood Initiative so carefully planned out by DODEA.
(Courtesy DODDS Kaisers-lautern District)