KINDERGARTEN

early childhood education

Kindergarten year at WNS

Kindergarten is a play-based program that is driven by a constructivist philosophy, supporting the idea that children make meaning from asking questions and solving problems in their immediate environment. In addition to spacious and engaging classrooms, kindergarten students enjoy an outdoor learning center with a garden, working stream, sand area, and materials to explore, investigate, create, and play in an organic and authentic way. The scientific experimental model in our kindergarten curricula forms the basis for teaching and learning. Students are asked to hypothesize, test, and defend their ideas. They document learning using many different systems of artistic expression to both explain and investigate concepts.

High-quality early childhood education provides the foundation for lifelong learning. As a community of learners, we understand that knowledge is not individually constructed, but co-constructed. Skills that foster collaboration and communication develop in our social learning environment as we play, discover, and grow together.

Welcome To Kindergarten

Our reggio-inspired, social-constructivist approach provides students with a strong, developmentally appropriate foundation that nurtures every child’s natural curiosity and love of learning. Explorations, discovery, and play are a vital part of our kindergarteners school experience.

Kelly Massey

Director of Preschool-Kindergarten

CURRICULUM

The WNS constructivist learning center

Constructivist, Reggio-inspired schools like WNS are based on the learning theories of Vygotsky, Piaget, and Dewey. Reggio educators believe that young children are capable of rigorous curriculum within a developmental framework that allows them to explore, test, and question their world. The Reggio model at WNS incorporates all of the philosophical ideas and educational pedagogy embodied in our philosophy, engaging students in inquiry and learning that is organic and authentic.

Building a strong home-school connection is integral in the Reggio-inspired classroom. Opportunities for children to extend their inquiry-based explorations to the home are provided. Parents have numerous opportunities throughout the school year to experience their children engaged in Reggio-inspired activities.

The scientific experimental model forms the basis for teaching and learning. Students are asked to hypothesize, test out and defend their ideas. They document learning using many different systems of artistic expression to both explain and investigate concepts. Classroom teachers work closely with our art specialist who plans with classroom teachers to develop inspired long-term projects of study.

Outdoor and indoor spaces are rich in visual images and objects to provide provocations for inquiry and research, and children are expected to respect environments and care for them. Students are encouraged to question, probe, and engage their innate curiosity.

Kindergarten At A Glance

Full Day Program

Monday through Friday, with optional early drop-off and After-Class Enrichment (ACE) program for after school.

State of the Art Facility

Highly engaging indoor and outdoor classroom environments offering natural lighting and natural materials.

Small Classes (9:1 ratio)

Three classrooms of 18 students, with two lead teachers per class for flexible groupings and differentiated instruction.

Social-Constructivist Learning

Project-based learning experiences reflect children’s passions and interests and provide opportunities for hands-on exploration, investigation, collaboration, and reflection.

Specialist Classes

Students strengthen literacy and math skills, learn about their world through social studies and science, and attend weekly specialist classes in art, music, Spanish and physical education.

K-8 Buddy Program

Kindergarten students are assigned an 8th grade buddy, with whom they spend scheduled time throughout the school year. These friendships become so valuable to both the older and younger students, and heartwarming to watch, as kindergarteners quickly begin to look up to their buddy as a role model!

Project Time

Project time is a time for children to put their active learning to use as they explore big ideas through play and materials. Long-term projects, such as our Family and Food Investigation, build the kindergartener’s stamina to explore ideas over time.

Whether they are building with recycled materials, creating animal habitats out of clay, or exploring math concepts in the construction area, they are engaged in the kind of joyful, active learning that kindergarten students deserve.

A Day In The Life

Curious as to what a day in kindergarten at WNS looks like? Follow Magnolia as she takes us through her day!

Kindergarten in Pictures

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS:

Westside Neighborhood School admits students of any race, national and ethnic origin, religion, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, national and ethnic origin, religion, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, tuition assistance programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.