Handbook Welcome to Junior Kindergarten at Chapel Hill Academy! The Junior Kindergarten program at Chapel Hill Academy is specifically designed to meet the needs of 4 and 5 year-old students who will enter Kindergarten the following fall. The activities of the program will teach students the skills needed for success in Kindergarten and beyond. We cherish the individuality of each child and desire to teach children the importance of honoring God in how we work and play together.
Junior K at Chapel Hill Academy provides a loving, godly environment that is developmentally appropriate and staffed by teachers who love God and seek to glorify Him in their everyday lives. The Junior K program will build a child’s readiness for Kindergarten by focusing on spiritual, cognitive, language, and physical development. It is our vision to provide a loving, Christ-centered, stimulating environment that nurtures a life-long love of learning and wonder in each child.
ABOUT ME H E L LO, J R . K I N D E RG A R T E N PA R E N T S ! I was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. After graduating from high school, I married my high school sweetheart, Paul. Although I grew up in a religious home, God used Paul’s gentle, loving manner to help me understand and accept God’s grace, mercy, and unbounding love.
Paul finished his college education and went to work for K-Mart. Yes, he did announce a few blue-light specials! During this time God blessed us with our first beautiful daughter, Lisa, who is now married and has three wonderful children of her own. When Lisa was in Kindergarten, Paul accepted a job with Target Corp., and we moved to Minneapolis. Two years later God blessed us with our second beautiful daughter, Rachel, who was married in May 2012. When Rachel was in Kindergarten, I had the privilege of continuing my education and graduated from Augsburg College with a degree in Elementary Education. Following graduation, God blessed me with my dream job: teaching young children. I taught Kindergarten at Calvin Christian School for five years until God called us into the exciting world of adoption. I stopped teaching to stay home with our precious new daughter, Angela, who is now 16. Over the next several years God added two more beautiful daughters from Russia to our family: Svetlana and Natasha who are now in their 20’s! I taught at Wooddale Preschool for two years before coming to Chapel Hill. Last year was my fourth year teaching Kindergarten at CHA, and I absolutely cannot wait to begin our new Junior Kindergarten program. It is my prayer that this year your child will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and that he/she will come to love Him more everyday. Because of His great love, Mrs. Singer
FEATURES
Mission Statement To glorify God and assist families by providing a Christ-centered education which inspires and enables students to pursue spiritual maturity and academic excellence. We do this by infusing the Bible and character development into the entire Junior Kindergarten experience. Children will learn scripture and poems, read and respond to high quality literature, and explore God’s creation through words, numbers, and nature. They will be appropriately challenged to develop their intellect, character, and spirit in a loving, Christian environment.
Program Features Intentional instruction in social skills development with a focus on Biblical character. Learning through play in a loving and nurturing environment. Christian worldview and Biblical truth integrated into the entire program. Chapel worship Large and small muscle development Small class sizes with opportunities for individual attention along with small and large-group instruction Full-time school nurse on site
Big Resources, Intimate Setting Junior Kindergarten students will have weekly access to specialist teachers in the areas of: Art Music Library In addition the Junior Kindergarten students will have access to the auditorium and the gymnasium. Junior Kindergarten students will have the opportunity to participate in events such as: Holiday chapels School photos School plays Grandparents Day Christmas Musical Book Fairs
CURRICULUM
Creative Curriculum The overall goals, objectives, format, and structure for the Junior Kindergarten program at Chapel Hill Academy will follow the guidelines of the Chapel Hill Mission Statement and of the Creative Curriculum. This is a developmental continuum that provides an organized structure for meeting several goals for the development of four and five year old children. All aspects of a child’s development are addressed in Creative Curriculum: social/ emotional, physical, cognitive, and language. This curriculum not only provides the appropriate skills for four and five year old children, but also a sequence of expected steps as they progress to mastery of the specific objectives. The content of the Junior Kindergarten program includes ten age-appropriate goals and thirty-eight objectives. Assessment of the objectives is accomplished through observation of the children as they play and learn together, and a sample collection of each child’s work. This curriculum guide also provides information on child development, content recommended for four and five year olds, and developmentally appropriate instructional strategies.
Goals Social/Emotional
Physical
Language
Cognitive
Literacy
Mathematics
Science and Technology
Social Studies
The Arts
English Language Acquisition
CURRICULUM Bible Providing a Christian education for children is the primary focus for all grade levels at Chapel Hill Academy. Early childhood is a prime time to establish a love for Christ and learn about His Word. Junior Kindergarten students will come to know God and His Word through Bible lessons with real life, age-appropriate application. The Bible curriculum in Junior Kindergarten at CHA is entitled, Big Names of Jesus for Little Hearts. The main objective is that the students will begin to have an understanding of who Jesus is and how much He loves them. The students will learn 26 names of Jesus, corresponding to the letters and signs of the alphabet. Each title is related to and explained through a Bible story. The Bible stories are taught in a chronological progression from Genesis to Revelation. Particular emphasis will be placed on Creation, the Fall, and Redemption. The students will also learn the “Wordless Book” song that explains God’s plan for our salvation. Memorizing foundational Bible verses will also be an important part of the program. Biblical principles will be integrated into every area of the program, helping the students understand that God is Lord over all.
Names of Jesus A: Author and Finisher of Our Faith
B: Bread of Life
C: Cornerstone
D: Door
E: Everlasting Father
F: First and Last
G: Good Shepherd
H: Healer
I: Immanuel
J: Jesus
K: King of Kings and Lord of Lords
L: Light of the World
M: Mighty God
N: Name Above All Names
O: One and Only Son of God
P: Prince of Peace
Q: Quieter of Storms
R: Rock
S: Savior
T: Truth
U: Unfailing
V: Vine
W: Word
X: Exact Image of God
Y: Yahweh
Z: Zealous
SIGN LANGUAGE
CURRICULUM Phonics The Junior Kindergarten program will help the students develop a love of reading and language as an amazing gift from God that we can use to bring glory to Him. Learning the letter names and sounds are important objectives in Junior Kindergarten. The students will develop a strong phonemic awareness and learn the fundamental phonograms through playful and structured activities. This instruction will be based on the Logic of English: Foundations Level A program. This curriculum teaches the students the skills needed for Kindergarten readiness by using fun activities and games. It also correlates well with the Orton-Gillingham Method of reading instruction that is used as supplemental material at Chapel Hill Academy.
Handwriting Junior Kindergarten students at Chapel Hill learn that writing is a meaningful way to express ourselves well with others and can bring honor and glory to God. The Junior Kindergarten program uses Handwriting without Tears as a basis for teaching the students how to develop letter formation, penmanship posture, and proper pencil grip. This curriculum uses a developmental and multisensory approach to teaching handwriting. It provides handwriting instruction in a pleasant and non-threatening way.
Literature God has blessed us with the amazing gift of story. The students will learn that reading, responding, and evaluating literature is a way that we can learn more about who God is and who we are as His image-bearers. Listening and responding to high quality literature is an important component in developing strong readers. The Junior Kindergarten program instructs through SRA Imagine It! Pre-K Level for reading and literature instruction. In addition to providing a strong basis for phonemic awareness, this curriculum also introduces students to some of the sight words that they are expected to master in Kindergarten. The curriculum uses high-quality literature that allows the students the opportunity to interact with stories, poetry, folktales, and rhymes in meaningful, fun, and developmentally appropriate ways. This approach provides a natural progression into our Kindergarten program which uses the next level of the same series.
CURRICULUM Math Our God is a God of order and structure. Through the study of math, the Junior Kindergarten students learn that the world was designed and created very purposefully by a God, who is beyond our comprehension. It is crucial that young children experience and understand mathematical concepts using a fun, encouraging, hands-on approach. It is the objective of the Junior Kindergarten math program that the students explore numbers, counting, and basic computation using manipulatives, games, songs, and learning centers. In Junior Kindergarten, the students will have experiences with numeration, money, place value, addition and subtraction, problem solving, geometry, time, non-standard measurement, and fractions. Learning will occur in developmentally appropriate methods.
Science and Social Studies Our science and social studies thematic units will help the students discover the many aspects of God’s creation through active learning experiences. The students will learn how to show God’s love to others because He first loved us. The students will learn that it is our responsibility to learn about and care for God’s creation. Some example units may include: ●
”God Made Me Special”
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”God Made Families”
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”Giving Thanks”
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“Sunshine and Snowflakes”
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“The Five Senses”
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“Growing Little by Little”
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“Let’s Go!”
We will also incorporate holidays and other seasonal celebrations into our units of study.
PEACEMAKERS Character Development Junior Kindergarten students will learn that as God’s children we are to reflect His character to the world around us. Studying the “Fruits of the Spirit,” help children learn how God can change our hearts to become more like His. We will focus on one fruit each month of the school year. We will also use the Second Step curriculum as a program to help develop skills for learning, emotion management, and problem solving.
Social Skills God desires that we live in peace and unity with each other. Our Junior K students will be introduced to the Young Peacemakers conflict resolution curriculum. This curriculum teaches students to respond to conflict God’s way. Through this program children learn that repentance, confession and forgiveness are the heartbeat of conflict resolution. Your child will also discover biblical answers to questions such as:
What is at the heart of conflict?
Is it possible to honor God by my response to conflict?
How can I take responsibility for my contribution to a conflict?
How can I go and talk to someone if we are in a fight?
How can we become friends again if there is a wall between us?
5 A’s of Conflict Resolution
Each of the 5 A’s of conflict resolution
1. Admit
will be introduced:
2. Apologize 3. Accept 4. Ask 5. Alter
SCHEDULE
AM CORE INSTRUCTION The core instruction which specifically prepares Junior K students for Kindergarten takes place each morning between 8:15 and 11:30. This will include Bible, phonics, literature, math, social studies, science, and specials.
PM A.P.P.L.E.
(Afternoon Play, Pray, and Learning Enrichment)
During the afternoon the Junior Kindergarten students who choose the full-day option will have the opportunity to participate in enrichment and extension activities related to the core curriculum as well as exposure to the fine arts, geography, and foreign language.
Instructional Schedule Monday through Friday Half-Days (Select 3, 4 or 5 days) 8:15 AM to 11:30 PM; Core Instruction August 31, 2016 - May 19, 2017 LUNCH BUNCH -11:30 -12:30 Monday through Friday Full-Days (Select 3, 4 or 5 days) 8:15 AM - 3:25 PM (Core Instruction + A.P.P.L.E.) August 31, 2016 - May 19, 2017
SCHEDULE
Typical Day (Sample) 8:00 – 8:30 am Free Exploration/Morning Work 8:30 – 9:50 am Welcome, pledges, morning prayer Morning Meeting (Bible verse, Bible lesson, calendar, weather, seasons, songs, story/theme etc.) Core Instruction (language arts, math, science/social studies)
9:50-10:05 am Snack 10:05-10:30 am Recess 10:30-11:30 am Centers and Small Group Time 11:30 am ½ Day Students Dismissal
11:30-12:30 pm Lunch Bunch 12:45-1:05 pm Rest time 1:05-1:30 pm Recess 1:30-3:00 pm Enrichment-Geography, Spanish, Artist of the Month, Composer of the Month, Sign Language, Musical Instruments, and Creative Art Projects 3:00-3:25 pm Clean-up, Closing Circle, Full Day Students Dismissal
MEALS
Snack-time Snack: Each student will bring his or her own morning snack that complies with the Chapel Hill Academy Snack List.
Lunch Full-day students and those who stay for Lunch Bunch should bring a healthy lunch from home. The students may purchase milk from school or bring their own beverage. The children will eat lunch in their classroom with their teacher who will provide guidance with mealtime prayers, table manners, and clean-up routines.
SNACK LIST We have several children at CHA with severe food issues. We do not want to endanger their lives by bringing nuts into the classroom. Out of love for one another please be sure to only bring snacks from the list below into the classroom. All snacks must be ready to eat with no reheating or preparation required by teachers or students. If a spoon is needed, please bring from home.
FRUITS & VEGGIES
PROTEIN/MEATS
NO NUTS OR TREE NUTS ADDED
NO NUTS OR TREE NUTS ADDED
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All fruits & veggies
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Eggs – hard boiled and peeled
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Raisins/Craisins/dried fruits
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Lunch/Deli meats
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Fruit cups/squeezable pouches
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Beef or turkey jerky
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Tofu
GRAINS
DAIRY
NO NUTS OR TREE NUTS ADDED
NO NUTS OR TREE NUTS ADDED
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Bagels
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Cheese
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Tortillas
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Cottage Cheese
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Nut-free bread – including gluten free
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Cream cheese
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“Qwackers” brand gluten-free crackers
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Yogurt/Kefir Yogurt Drink
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Rice Crackers (plain, salted, ranch & cheddar)
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Gogurt
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Triscuits, Saltines, Graham Crackers
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Cheerios – plain only
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Goldfish Crackers (plain, cheddar or pretzel)
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Annie’s Bunnies (plain, cheddar or pretzel)
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Popcorn
DRINKS NO NUTS OR TREE NUTS ADDED ●
Water
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Milk
BIRTHDAYS NO NUTS OR TREE NUTS ADDED
Non-food items are encouraged - PLEASE!
Goodie bags with small toys, stickers, crafts or pencils, etc.
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A book/DVD donated to class library, special speaker or exhibit to share with class
If you desire to bring a snack, it MUST be from the list above. NO cupcakes, donuts, cookies, cake, granola bars, etc. Annie’s Kettle Corn, Boom Chicka Pop, 100% juice frozen popsicles or prepackaged Rice Krispy bars are also permitted. ***Product formulations may change so always double check the label to ensure the item is NOT processed in a facility that also processes nuts.
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