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WELCOME TO CLEAR CREEK KINDERGARTEN!

Our Kindergarten program is designed to help each child reach their full potential in an environment that is challenging, secure and nurturing. This is an exciting entry into a child's formal education and it is our hope that it will be a very positive beginning!

Along with other early childhood professionals, we believe that young children learn through active, purposeful interactions with a wide variety of learning materials and activities which develop the growth of the whole child. Because young children are concrete learners, they need to be able to learn by using all their senses and by trying things out on their own. They have to play with it and experiment with it!

Teachers plan engaging activities that meet our state and district standards (click here to view standards) as well as children's individual needs. Children develop at their own pace, with varying strengths, needs and interests, so implementation of the curriculum is fluid and flexible to support every learner. Teachers observe and assess children's development daily. While whole group instruction is important, especially for building community, the early childhood teacher knows that young children learn best in small groups with lots of one-on-one support. That is why you will see small groups of children working with adults or other children for a large part of our day. Through their play, (the work of young children!), they learn skills and knowledge, refine their communication and they learn the rules and norms of social interaction, so children need time to interact with and learn from their peers every day!

Kindergarten children are building crucial foundational skills in all areas, social/emotional, language and communication, motor control, citizenship in a community, creative expression and of course academic skills and knowledge. In kindergarten you will see… children refining and strengthening their muscles in many ways; painting, building, drawing, working play dough, and writing. You will see children building solid math foundations by manipulating concrete materials, (blocks, Legos, pattern blocks, counters), and by playing guided math games. You will see developing artists painting and doing craft projects. Scientists explore artifacts in the science area or do experiments in small groups. Children learn that they can be writers as we study authors and text, exploring the many ways to communicate through print. Children learn beginning reading skills through a wide variety of daily, guided experiences with print, developing strategies to figure out text and experiences with outstanding children's literature. Through participation in one of our in-depth study projects, children learn how to become learners as they plan, research, problem solve, document and share their learning with others. They learn that the facts and skills they acquire are connected across the curriculum and to their own world, because we study things that are relevant to the world of young children. They also learn about the importance of teamwork and that each child brings something of value to the team.

Building a close community is important to the success of any classroom. We learn and practice our Clear Creek CARE skills every day as we learn what it means to be a productive and contributing citizen of a community. We share our ideas, our feelings and our stories. We learn to solve problems proactively and we support each other day to day to develop self-discipline and cooperation skills.

Families are a very important part of our community and we highly value the foundations families build for children's learning at home and at school. There are many ways for families to be involved in the school experience, from helping with homework to PTO participation to regular classroom volunteering! Family support is essential to children's learning!

KINDERGARTEN COMETS CARE!!