Junior Kindergarten
Bridging Pre-School and Kindergarten
September 2013 - June 2014
Why Junior Kindergarten?
Junior Kindergarten provides children with an important transition year, bridging the child’s home, preschool, and kindergarten. Junior Kindergarten offers engaging and developmentally appropriate early childhood experiences that promote social competency, independence, school readiness, and preparation for the accelerated academic demands of kindergarten. Children will be introduced to many routines, materials and activities that they will encounter in the Kindergarten classroom.
Junior Kindergarten Features
- INQUIRY BASED LEARNING allows the curriculum to be guided by the children’s interests. Through this child-centered teaching model, teachers facilitate and foster learning about topics that fascinate children while providing opportunities for them to learn about themselves and gain knowledge about their world.
- LEARNING THROUGH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT fosters an understanding and a sense of wonder for the natural world. Early interactions in nature excite children’s sensory experiences and imaginations . It encourages their sense of curiosity and inquiry, motivating them to learn. Outdoor, nature-based activities engage children to make observations, question, predict, investigate, problem solve, recognize relationships, and draw conclusions about the natural world.
- KINDERGARTEN PREPARATION in English/language arts and mathematics is enhanced through active and engaging learning centers and activities designed to align California’s Preschool Learning Foundations with the Kindergarten Common Core Content Standards.
- AN INTEGRATED CURRICULUM in reading, writing, language and vocabulary development, math, science, music, art, gardening, cooking, movement, yoga, woodworking, building, and natural crafts develop competencies in a wide range of developmental domains.
- AN INTERACTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT provides learning experiences that are meaningful, challenging, relevant, and engaging. Children are actively involved in activities designed for hands-on, experiential, and activity-based learning.
- A DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT provides indoor and outdoor opportunities for learning and development that supports young children’s social, emotional, cognitive, language development. The environment is intended to foster and inspire inquiry, observation, exploration, engagement, invention, and discovery through exposure to new materials and concepts.
- PLAY and choice time provides opportunities for student choice, unstructured play, and exploration so that children can pursue their personal interests and have further opportunities for creativity, imagination, exploration, discovery, collaboration and positive social interactions.
- TEACHERS ARE FACILITATORS guiding children to inquire, explore, problem solve, and learn. Experienced preschool and kindergarten teachers trained in a wide range of evidence-based teaching strategies and best practices support the developmental needs of young children, different learning styles, preferences, and individual interests and needs.
General Information
Hours
Junior Kindergarten program hours vary by age according to state laws governing licensing for pre-k programs. Students between the ages of 3 years 9 months and 4 years old are eligible to attend Monday thru Thursday from 8:30am to 11:30am. Students between the ages of 4 years old and 5 years 3 months are eligible to attend Monday thru Friday 8:30am to 11:30am. Extended care is available until 2pm for an additional fee.
Age Requirements
By September 1, 2013 all students are required to be between the ages of 3 years 9 months and 5 years 3 months.
Tuition
Junior Kindergarten is a year-long program consisting of three 12-week sessions. The tuition for the four day and five day programs are as follows:
Four day program (3 years 9 months to 4 years old): $785/month or $2355/session
Five day program (4 to 5 years 3 months): $885/month or $2655/session
Enrollment is accepted on a first come, first served basis until the program is at capacity. Mid-trimester enrollment will be accepted if space permits. A non-refundable application fee of $100 is due to secure your child’s enrollment in the program.
Annual Schedule
The Junior Kindergarten program is set up in a trimester format which adheres to the holidays and in-service days established by the Reed Union School District.
Session I: September 3 - November 22 (no classes 9/16, 10/21, 11/11)
Session II: December 2 - March 7 (no classes 12/23-31, 1/1-6, 1/20, 2/17-21)
Session III: March 10 - June 6 (no classes 3/17, 4/14-18, 5/26)
Family Involvement
Families are viewed as partners in their children’s education. Adult family members will be welcomed and encouraged to participate in their children’s learning
experiences and volunteer in the Junior kindergarten program.
Meeting Location
Dairy Knoll on Ned’s Way, just up from the Police Station and Reed School
ABOUT THE TEACHING STAFF
The teaching staff will be under the direction and supervision of Dr. Nancy Cappelloni. Dr. Cappelloni and her experienced preschool and kindergarten teaching staff understand the stages and characteristics of child development which informs what experiences will most likely promote children’s learning. Dr. Cappelloni is an Educational Consultant in Marin County. She works with families and their children from preschool through elementary school. She is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Education at the University of San Francisco. She taught kindergarten at Reed School from 1997-2011, preschool and pre-kindergarten at Belvedere-Hawthorne Schools from 1989-1996, and she received her Doctorate in Education from the University of San Francisco in 2010. Dr. Cappelloni has been teaching spring and summer Kindergarten Readiness programs for the Belvedere-Tiburon Recreation Department for the past four years. She is the author of Kindergarten Readiness (2013), Corwin Press, Cranberry Cooking for All Seasons (Spinner Publications, 2002), and co-author of The New Elementary Teacher’s Handbook (Corwin Press, 2011).
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