Spanish, German, Music and Art Classes Added To Younger Grades in Salisbury Schools

At a time of budget cutbacks, Salisbury Township School District will offer Spanish and German to sixth-graders and music, art and gym classes to kindergarteners in September

These classes will not cost the district additional money, the board said at its April 25 curriculum and technology committee meeting. The additional kindergarten classes will be possible because, due to declining enrollment, the district can use teachers from other grades who lost classes, the board said.

Until last week's curriculum change,  Salisbury students were not offered   foreign language classes until eight grade.  Spanish and German are still the only foreign languages offered in the school district. Board member John Moyer said while he was pleased foreign languages were now being offered to sixth-graders, he would prefer to see them offered to even younger students.  Moyer was also among the board members and teachers at the meeting who would like additional foreign languages to be offered in the future.

The committee plans to discuss the possibility of incorporating electronic texts in the exploratory language courses at its May 23 meeting.

The district will move teachers to instruct art, music, gym and library classes to kindergartners. Art and music probably will be offered in the same week, followed by gym and library studies the next week using a Tuesday/Thursday and Monday/Wednesday schedule.

The following changes were made to kindergarten start and dismissal times beginning in September:

• Morning kindergarten will be dismissed at 11:40 a.m.

• Afternoon kindergarten will begin at 12:20 p.m.

Assistant Superintendant Louise Beauchemin described it as a "win-win situation" for everyone involved.

Moyer was enthusiastic about the plan, adding he is proponent of full-day kindergarten and will support any extra classes added to their schedule.