Kindergarten Overview In 1999 CCC opened its Kindergarten class.  Parents wanted to continue the journey of constructivist education into the reading and writing years.  Knowing that a child’s first Kindergarten experience sets the stage for the future, CCC is proud of our project based learning program.  We accept a maximum of eighteen students and operate Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 1:00 pm.  As a cooperative school, our Kindergarten parents join together as members of our class!  Parent helping is optional but all are included through daily documentation and images.    Our students are: …celebrated for their love of learning …accepted for their diverse opinions and personalities …encouraged to take risks, accept failures and celebrate accomplishments …taught to respect and appreciate others and the world we share …allowed to discover the power of literature, language, science and math through a balance of child-initiated and teacher-directed activities …invited to discover the creativity within through art, theatre and dance experiences   Highlights of our program: ·         Art (drawing, painting, clay and sculpture) ·         Enrichment activities in music, theatre and sign language ·         Opening circle time, student jobs, calendar and daily message ·         Ongoing academic assessments and individual student plans ·         Reading series and home activities ·         Field trips and guest speakers ·         Box It and Bag It Math ·         Daily recess in large playground ·         Nature explorations and gardening   The Project Approach Children are encouraged to take on long term studies and projects.  Recent examples include the construction of a bridge that arose from the question, “What should we do about all these puddles?”  In 2005, the class organized a store to support Mercy Corp Tsunami relief program.  In 2006 class wrote, produced and acted in a play, “Super Kids.”    As Josh, age five, once told us: “You just gotta trust kids.”  Believing all children are gifted, CCC Kindergarten program supports both individual and group goals for your budding geniuses.  Learning is not narrowed down to a standardized curriculum of “one size fits all,” but instead challenges the group to move forward with purpose.  Mathematical thinking, literacy development, music and song, dance and drama, science and art, nature and community outings all interweave, creating a program that truly gives joy to learning.   A typical day includes…             9:00                Student Arrival             9:10                Morning Meeting Music and Movement Daily Jobs (Calendar, days in school, weather report, temperature, and kid count.  All jobs are run by children.) Stories and Book Talk Morning snack             10:15              Workgroups Begin Workgroups (Journals and book making, math, reading, studio arts, clay, painting, nature and science activities, and project work.)  Choice and Play Clean Up Outside Time             11:30              Class Gathering Literacy Lesson Circle (Daily reading and writing lessons.)             12:15              Lunchtime Family style meal Carpet time, independent reading             12:45              Class Reflections and Outdoor Time             1:00                1:00 pm Dismissal Extended Day Begins…  1:05                Kindergarten Enrichment (Mon. Tues. Wed. and Fri.)            1:15                Group Meeting  1:30                Project work (Children work on individual and group projects.)             2:30                Kindergarten Ends   Kindergarten Features and Curriculum  Higher Student to Adult/Teacher Ratio Local kindergartens may have an adult to child ratio of 1 to 25 for kindergarten.  Currently CCC has a Master Teacher, a Co-Teacher, plus one to two parent helpers per day.   The individualized attention and quality time is key to our success.          More Annual Classroom Hours   Beaverton 2008   2.5 hours   Sept. 3 to Mid June   Annual class hours 437 CCC 2008   4.0 hours   Sept. 4 to Mid June   Annual class hours 648 CCC Extended Day 2009   5.5 hours   Sept. 9 to Mid June   Annual class hours 891   Community Learning Teachers facilitate full group discussions and small group collaborations on both teacher and child directed subjects.  Daily Jobs, book talks, and project work are some of the full group activities.   Individual Lessons and Attention Children receive one-on-one support for writing and reading skills.  Through personal interactions, students are encourage to move forward and challenged to reach new heights.    Citizenship and conflict resolution skills Children are seen as citizens of our kindergarten community, with the right to play and learn in a safe and respectful environment.  Our kindergarten cultivates the skills needed to be a responsible member, who can identify problems, negotiate solutions, and find resolutions that are positive for all.  This is an essential component of our school and philosophy.    Critical Thinking Skills From garden walks to monthly fieldtrips, teachers help children to think deeply, encouraging the formulation of theories and expanding the mind.  Children are viewed as active, engaged participants, capable of moving their learning forward both internally and with peers.   Writing and Reading From day one children begin writing in their journals. Learning letter symbols, hearing sounds, and constructing words, CCC children move rapidly toward a true understanding of written communication. It is not unusual to have our kinder students composing sentences and stories by the end of the year.  Our reading series, (The Wright Group), is a coordinated program that guides our students from emergent readers towards independent readers.  Our big books, small group work, and kindergarten reading library, help students to feel successful at every step.     Math and Science Integration Our math and science activities are integrated into our daily lives.  The life cycle is studied through our garden, snack becomes pretzel math, time/money concepts are developed at our kindergarten bank.  Through meaningful activities, math and science thinking become a way of looking at our world.   Parent Education We view a child’s family as the primary teacher in the child’s life.  We assist them in understanding the steps needed to support social, emotional and academic learning at home.  They in turn assist us in understanding their child.   Nutrition and Lunch Let’s build “Healthy Bodies and Brains!”  At CCC’s kindergarten, “we talk and we walk”, health!  From daily movement to stretching our brains, children learn that a healthy body is a “super one!” Group Lunch is alternatively provided by Parents.  Our lunches are fantastic!  Parents take the time to provide great food, full of nutrition and variety! The children learn to enjoy  nutritious foods from many cultures.    The Creative Process Imagination is key to learning.  In our kindergarten, are encouraged to think creatively.  Writing, thinking, playing, dancing, and designing all stem from our creative side.  At CCC it’s a way of life!    “to make the invisible, visible.” Tomie DePaola   Music and Dance Music and dance is a priority everyday in Kindergarten.  Inspired by the work of many well-known singers and songwriters, children sing, dance, study lyrics, play instruments, make music, and move!   Studio Arts Exploration There is no limit to what children can create! The studio is one of the most active spaces in our classroom, full of materials to inspire, expand and create stories and ideas.  Clay, wire, paper, plastic and natural materials, fabrics, and yarns are but a few examples of materials children have to work with everyday.  ©2009 Creative Children's Center. All rights reserved.