Back to SCHOOL; Preschool Makes Debut Next Week; Also New at Osgood School is Full-Day Kindergarten

The Patriot Ledger

There will be some uncommonly short people at Cohasset’s Osgood Elementary School this year, and some of the slightly taller ones will spend longer days there than their older brothers and sisters did.

Two major changes will be taking place at the Osgood School when the 2005-06 school year begins next week: the school department’s preschool program and full-day kindergarten will be making their debuts.

“We’re very excited,” Principal Janet Sheehan said. “We’ve been working on this for a couple of years. We’ve done a lot of planning.”

Two new teachers have been hired for the preschool program – one for 3-year-olds and one for 4-year olds. Preschool tuition is $1,500.

Eighty-nine children will attend the school’s five full-day kindergarten classes, in addition to the 11 enrolled in the traditional half-day program. Tuition for ull-day kindergarten is $1,800. Three new teachers have been hired.

“It’s like having a baby,” School Superintendent Denise Walsh said. “It’s a credit to the district that even in these difficult budget times, we are moving programs forward.”

Walsh said the kindergarten and preschool programs will be funded with tuition revenue.

Because the Osgood building was designed with such programs in mind, no extra space will be needed, she said.

The school department actually will save money by having an in- house preschool program, Walsh said. Last year, the department paid $15,000 to send preschoolers with special needs to classes through the South Shore Educational Collaborative.

Enrollment for both programs is open, and tuition is negotiable for parents who cannot afford the full rate.

The classes have contributed to the growth of the student population at the pre-kindergarten-through-grade 2 school.

“We’re getting close to 400,” Sheehan said.

A new reading program at the Osgood School will replace the aging texts that students have used for years.

“We haven’t updated materials in many years,” Sheehan said. “This is one program that’s very comprehensive.”

John Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@ledger.com.