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Perkiomen Valley to pilot four-day, half-day kindergarten camp at Schwenksville to ease transitions; district set aside $25,000
Summary
District leaders proposed a free, four half-day kindergarten camp at Schwenksville in June for registered students to build routines, reduce family anxiety and help teachers pre-roster; Perkiomen Valley budget staff added $25,000 as a placeholder in 2025–26 planning.
Kia (presentation credited to Champagne Lee’s proposal) told the Education Committee the district will pilot a four half-day kindergarten camp at Schwenksville to prepare registered kindergarten students and their families for the start of full-day kindergarten.
Kia said the camp will be ‘‘a gentle introduction’’ focused on simple entry skills — for example, opening a lunchbox or buttoning clothing — and on reducing student and parental anxiety. The model described would run post-registration, target dates in June, provide transportation, and invite parents to information sessions during the camp.
Kia said Schwenksville was chosen as the pilot site because it is a Title I school with demonstrated readiness and staff buy-in; kindergarten teachers at the school volunteered to rotate so students would meet multiple teachers during the four days. The presentation said the camp ‘‘will be free, of course, to families’’ but will require separate registration for the camp itself.
The finance discussion noted that Mr. Weaver has added $25,000 to the district’s 2025–26 budget plans as a placeholder to cover preparation and transportation; presenters described the planned cost as ‘‘less than $25,000’’ for the first-year pilot. Committee members asked about staffing and turnout; presenters said the school would staff the rotation even if some registered students did not attend and emphasized quick public notice of dates to maximize participation.
Committee members voiced support to move the pilot forward and to plan a possible expansion to other elementary buildings if the pilot is successful. No formal board vote was recorded during the committee meeting; funding was placed in planning for 2025–26.
