Laying the foundations for success in one of the top academic programs in the country
Overview
The earliest years of a child’s education are marked by meaningful discoveries and “lightbulb” moments as students solidify their sense of self and their relationship to the world. Our Early Learning Program (Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten) is designed to maximize these moments, creating a balance between a child’s natural tendencies—to question, explore, and create-and intentional, academic learning. A key goal of the Early Learning Program is to inspire students to delight in learning. Fostering this love for learning as early as possible for our students leads to future academic and lifelong success.
Our Early Learning Program is, indeed, rooted in academic learning. Students are exposed to more formal instruction and academic expectations, readying them for the robust curriculum in years to come. Classrooms are expertly led by nurturing, passionate teachers who understand the essential cognitive and emotional growth that occurs in students of this age and expertly facilitate the building of a classroom community. Classes are self-contained with specialists pushing in throughout the day to teach various elements of our program. Our teachers set our youngest learners on a path toward academic success, social-emotional well-being and self-confidence, and sow the seeds of both independent and collaborative learning.
The Curriculum
We take a developmentally appropriate approach to addressing academic, social, and emotional growth.
In transitional kindergarten (TK) we offer a thematic, hands-on, comprehensive, and content-rich curriculum that builds skills in an environment designed for students who are not yet ready for our kindergarten class, but for whom a traditional PreK curriculum wouldn’t offer social-emotional and academic advancement. We focus on instilling intellectual curiosity as early as possible and challenging students as they are exposed to new concepts and learn how to set and reach goals both together and as a class. Our curriculum offers an impressive array of foundational courses that foster early numeracy, literacy, and awareness of the many ideas and topics to explore. Students learn through developmentally appropriate play, music, and hands-on activities to help make high-level material more accessible.
Our kindergarten program focuses on more formal learning, with the curriculum facilitating opportunities for children to interact with academic, physical, and social concepts in goal-oriented activities throughout the day. The curriculum helps students develop their literacy and math skills, and gives them opportunities for plenty of movement and exercise, and connects what they know about their environment to new ideas in civics, science, and history. We’ve learned that children thrive on academic challenges, so our kindergarten students work toward mastering first grade skills by the end of the year. Courses include:
Math
Civics, History & Science Foundation
Language & Literacy
Movement Foundation
Engineering Foundation
Visual Arts Foundation
Performing Arts Foundation
Kinder Enrichment
Mandarin
The Teaching Model
Our unique two-teacher model designates two teachers in the classroom at all times.
Our unique two-teacher model designates two teachers in the classroom at all times, each with deep knowledge of effective pedagogical techniques and the expertise to craft engaging lessons. Students have both an Early Learning Teacher (or a Subject Expert Teacher for certain specials) and an Early Learning Teaching Fellow with them in their self-contained classrooms throughout the year.
These two teachers work together to guide students in making vital connections both inside and outside the classroom, delivering developmentally appropriate lessons to ignite student engagement and a hunger for learning. This model also maintains an additional layer of support, which positively impacts student outcomes.
To create classrooms where learning is a joyful and rewarding experience, we seek educators who are passionate about their craft, confident in their expertise, and invested in their students’ success.
Social-Emotional Growth
Our Early Learning Teachers hone in on our students’ individual needs, ensuring they understand that school is a place that is safe for exploration, taking risks, making mistakes, and facing challenges head-on. This encourages them to be curious, creative, and proactive learners, and to associate the classroom as a place where they can make discoveries and be themselves.
We believe that every learning experience should positively contribute to a child’s social and emotional growth and well-being. Our teachers ensure every child feels supported and has their individual needs met as they learn and develop.
Outcomes & Milestones
Building curious, inquisitive students from the moment they step into our classrooms.
At the beginning of each year in TK and Kindergarten, teachers issue a syllabus that includes an overview of the topics covered in their class. Beyond subject-specific goals centered on academics and social-emotional readiness to progress to the next grade, students in our Early Learning Program will:
Feel empowered by their curiosity and willingness to learn
Have opportunities to experience victories and milestones, such as fine motor skills, social-emotional and self-help skills, and phonological awareness
Broaden their understanding of the classroom environment and learn to make connections to their home and other outside environments
Get the best start to their academic journey as well as the means to make a seamless transition into future grade levels
The Curriculum
We take a developmentally appropriate approach to addressing academic, social, and emotional growth.
In transitional kindergarten (TK) we offer a thematic, hands-on, comprehensive, and content-rich curriculum that builds skills in an environment designed for students who are not yet ready for our kindergarten class, but for whom a traditional PreK curriculum wouldn’t offer social-emotional and academic advancement. We focus on instilling intellectual curiosity as early as possible and challenging students as they are exposed to new concepts and learn how to set and reach goals both together and as a class. Our curriculum offers an impressive array of foundational courses that foster early numeracy, literacy, and awareness of the many ideas and topics to explore. Students learn through developmentally appropriate play, music, and hands-on activities to help make high-level material more accessible.
Our kindergarten program focuses on more formal learning, with the curriculum facilitating opportunities for children to interact with academic, physical, and social concepts in goal-oriented activities throughout the day. The curriculum helps students develop their literacy and math skills, and gives them opportunities for plenty of movement and exercise, and connects what they know about their environment to new ideas in civics, science, and history. We’ve learned that children thrive on academic challenges, so our kindergarten students work toward mastering first grade skills by the end of the year. Courses include:
Math
Civics, History & Science Foundation
Language & Literacy
Movement Foundation
Engineering Foundation
Visual Arts Foundation
Performing Arts Foundation
Kinder Enrichment
Mandarin
The Teaching Model
Our unique two-teacher model designates two teachers in the classroom at all times.
Our unique two-teacher model designates two teachers in the classroom at all times, each with deep knowledge of effective pedagogical techniques and the expertise to craft engaging lessons. Students have both an Early Learning Teacher (or a Subject Expert Teacher for certain specials) and an Early Learning Teaching Fellow with them in their self-contained classrooms throughout the year.
These two teachers work together to guide students in making vital connections both inside and outside the classroom, delivering developmentally appropriate lessons to ignite student engagement and a hunger for learning. This model also maintains an additional layer of support, which positively impacts student outcomes.
To create classrooms where learning is a joyful and rewarding experience, we seek educators who are passionate about their craft, confident in their expertise, and invested in their students’ success.
Social-Emotional Growth
Our Early Learning Teachers hone in on our students’ individual needs, ensuring they understand that school is a place that is safe for exploration, taking risks, making mistakes, and facing challenges head-on. This encourages them to be curious, creative, and proactive learners, and to associate the classroom as a place where they can make discoveries and be themselves.
We believe that every learning experience should positively contribute to a child’s social and emotional growth and well-being. Our teachers ensure every child feels supported and has their individual needs met as they learn and develop.
Outcomes & Milestones
Building curious, inquisitive students from the moment they step into our classrooms.
At the beginning of each year in TK and Kindergarten, teachers issue a syllabus that includes an overview of the topics covered in their class. Beyond subject-specific goals centered on academics and social-emotional readiness to progress to the next grade, students in our Early Learning Program will:
Feel empowered by their curiosity and willingness to learn
Have opportunities to experience victories and milestones, such as fine motor skills, social-emotional and self-help skills, and phonological awareness
Broaden their understanding of the classroom environment and learn to make connections to their home and other outside environments
Get the best start to their academic journey as well as the means to make a seamless transition into future grade levels
