Kindergarten

Overview

Our Kindergarten program emphasizes reading, writing, math, science, computers, and social studies. It is also the time when we focus on responsibility. Children will have usually turned five before entering the program although some may turn five shortly after starting.

Program

Academics

Kindergartners have the most structured routine of all the age groups in the school. The children work on projects, read books, listen to stories, complete worksheets and collaborate on assignments in each of the subject areas listed above. Instead of taking a nap, children have a quite time where they can participate in a activity of their choice; many choose to read a book or work on an art project at their desk.

The materials and lessons for the class are mostly provided by the A Beka curriculum, however the teacher will supplement or adapt the lessons based on the needs and abilities of the students. We find that children who have attended First Steps Academy for a couple years, tend to be at least one year ahead of similar aged children by the time they leave us to enter the public schools in the area.

Students participate in the following weekly specialty classes:

Gym
Spanish
Music
Computer

Responsibility

Kindergarten is the first classroom where the children have their own desks and keep track of their own supplies. They also have responsibility for caring for our school pet, Hop, by cleaning his cage each week and they are proud to fulfill the duties of their weekly assigned jobs (door holder, weather helper, line leader, etc...)

Field Trips

Kindergartners also participate in monthly field trips to places like the Natural History Museum, Cox Farm and local playgrounds. For a longer list of places we enjoy visiting, consult our field trips page.

Daily Schedule

A typical day in the life of a Kindergartner:

6:45am - 9:00am	Drop-off	1:30pm - 2:30pm	Afternoon Academics
8:30am - 9:00am	Breakfast	2:30pm - 3:00pm	Recess
9:00am - 11:00am	Morning Academics	3:00pm - 3:30pm	Afternoon Snack
12:00pm - 12:30pm	Recess	3:30pm - 6:15pm	Afternoon Activities
12:30pm - 1:00pm	Lunch	5:00pm - 5:15pm	Evening Snack
1:00pm - 1:30pm	Quiet Time	3:00pm - 6:15pm	Pick-Up

Communication

We recognize the great trust it requires to place your child in the care of another person. To help provide your family the best possible experience:

A Family Care Representative is assigned to your family to provide support and information as your child progresses through their time at First Steps.
Weekly Reports - generated by the teacher, to give you an overview of how your child has excelled both academically and behaviorally in the past week, including ways you can help at home.
eBoard – a weekly overview of the activities and focus of the classroom during the past week and reminders for the next week.
The classrooms are equipped with telephones allowing you to connect directly with your teacher.
Medical issues and significant changes in mood are responded to with prompt phone calls to you, so you can make a decision based on the most immediate information available.

Teacher Qualifications

There is a lead-qualified teacher in each of our classrooms. These teachers have either a bachelor's degree in a child related field, a CDA or equivalent.
Each classroom is assisted by a teacher assistant who works alongside the teacher in providing for your child.
We look for teachers that have that special blend of attention to detail and love of children.
And finally, we look for teachers that we would want our daughter to be safe with, learn from, and loved deeply.

In the final analysis it is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.

Ann Landers