Tualatin Valley Junior Academy
Kindergarten Program
MISSION
The Seventh-day Adventist school Kindergarten program strives to help
our
young students become acquainted with God though a combined study
of
nature and the Scriptures.
ENVIRONMENT
Great care is taken to provide a stimulating environment that feels safe
and
secure both physically and emotionally for each young student to
observe,
explore, think, experiment, communicate, manipulate, model, and create
in.
The Kindergarten room has high ceilings and plenty of natural light from
large windows on one side of the room. Plants are placed around the
room to
provide a more pleasant feeling and to provide better air quality.
There are areas for large-group activities at the community/learning
circle
and areas for small group or individual activities at work tables. A book
corner with a bench, pillow, throw, stuffed animals, and books provides
a
cozy place to enjoy reading activities. Manipulatives, games, blocks,
legos,
puzzles, paints, art and writing supplies are kept within easy reach to
encourage independence.
Dramatic play areas through out the year include a kitchen with pots and
pans; a carpenter shop with workbench, wood, tools, nails, screws,
hammers,
and drills; a grocery store with cash registers, coins, shopping lists,
carts,
and merchandise; a medical office with medical equipment and office
supplies; a small puppet stage with finger puppets; a transportation
area
with cars, planes, trains, space shuttles, and horses.
There are science and sensory stations that change during the year.
These
areas provide places to watch insects, growing plants, and places to
experiment with playdoh, water, ice, and much more.
Students enjoy fresh air and sunshine on T.V.J.A.�s beautiful spacious
playground which is surrounded by trees.
PROGRAM
The Kindergarten program is structured to include a variety of teaching
strategies that will embrace children�s diversities.
The daily schedule provides time for whole group and small group
instruction
along with independent practice. These instruction and practice times
involve active learning, hand�s on experiences, and the use of concrete
materials in bible, music, art, physical education, science, social
studies,
math, and word study.
The program strives to provide a balance of instructional time, active
independent exploration, and quiet time.
Field trips to and/or speakers from forestry centers, farms, health and
safety organizations, stores, local artists and authors, wildlife
organizations,
church pastors, and community members help to enhance the
Kindergarten
program.
In all these activities, important social interaction takes place in which
children learn to cooperate, make decisions, solve problems,
communicate in
acceptable ways, and build Christian character. Students are
encouraged to
apply the �Fruits of the Spirit� and the �Virtues for Life� that have been
discussed during the year in their decision making process and begin
to
develop a personal responsibility in how they treat themselves, others,
and
their environment.
A KINDERGARTEN DAY
Monday Through Friday
8:15 School doors are open
8:20 Teacher greets and invites students into the classroom
Students work on morning projects
Morning projects include pre-reading skills,
pre-writing skills, writing workshop, and math
8:30 Variety of Activities during the week:
Worship Assembly
P.E.
Special Assembles
Math
Word Study Block
Free Choice
Juice Break
Computer Lab
11:00 Lunch
ll:45 Recess
12:20 Sharing Time
Bible
Music
12:45 Rest Time
Library (Fridays)
1:25 Recess (Mon-Turs)
1:50 Science/Social Studies/Art Block (Mon-Thurs)
2:50 Dismissal (Mon-Thurs)
(Dismissal Fridays at 1:50)
3:05 An after School Program is available for students if
parents were unable to pick them up between
2:50 and 3:05
(1:50 and 2:05 on Fridays).
CLASSROOM CURRICULUM
BIBLE
Christ centered curriculum from SDA Bible/Worship
Life Series. Themes include lessons about the Trinity,
prayer, creation, Christian charater building, plan of
salvation, birth and life of Jesus, and sharing God's
love with others.
PHONICS AND WORD STUDY
Alphabet awareness; letter names
Letter recognition and formation; manuscript writing
Rhyme awareness; blend and manipulate sounds
Compound words; manipulate parts of words
Syllable awareness; prepare the focus on smaller units of word
Book/Literature concepts
Word awareness; grasp concepts of voice to print match
Sentence awareness; directionality of print, punctuation
Phonemic awareness; beginning, middle, and ending sounds
Alliteration; involves the ability to hear and generate words
that begin with the same sound
Vowel sounds and patterns
High frequency words
Word families
Decoding strategies for reading
Writing workshop
Take-Home activities
Library skills
MATH
Daily calendar math
Patterning
Graphing
Sorting
Shapes
1 though 10 concrete concepts
Counting by ones, twos, fives, and tens
Numeral recognition and formation 1-100
Addition
Subtraction
Simple Multiplication/Sorting into groups
Money
Time
Weights and Measurements
SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES/ART
Physical: Simple measurement, observation, light/colors
Life: Animals, birds, worms, insects, spiders, plants
Earth: air, land, water, ecology, seasons
Health: Home/school safety, nutrition, our bodies
History: Yourself/People in past and present
Time, Families, Holidays
Civics: Appreciate and respect diversity
Christian citizenship
Develop responsibility through good decision making
Geography: Know where you live
Know what it is like where you live
Community: Roll of community helpers, transportation
and communication
Art: Explore colors and a variety of media to create art work
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Engage in large motor skills, stretching, and balancing.
TECHNOLOGY
Learn proper care of computers, computer terms, and to
express ideas with drawing and word processing software.
INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS
SPIRITUAL--The students will:
Accept the Bible as God�s Word to them.
Worship God with joy and reverence.
Know Jesus as a personal friend.
Recognize their value as children of God.
Develop Christ-like characters.
Have a knowledge/understanding of Seventh-day Adventist
beliefs and life-style.
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL--The students will:
Accept moments of success, disappointment, and failure.
Have realistic expectations of themselves.
Participate in a variety of activities.
Perform various classroom responsibilities.
Respond to the teacher and peers in an appropriate manner.
Develop self-control, fair play, respect for others, and
willingness to share.
Demonstrate a willingness to try new experiences.
Develop self-confidence and self-reliance.
Use communication skills for effective interaction.
Show respect for property.
Show respect for school rules.
Appreciate the value of friendship.
PHYSICAL--The students will:
Participate in both indoor and outdoor physical activities.
Increase both fine and gross motor skills:
Coordinates the movements of his/her whole body.
Develop skills such as throwing, catching, and
kicking a ball.
Use eye-hand coordination to perform tasks such as
cutting, pasting, and tearing.
Demonstrates the fine motor skills of drawing,
writing, and painting.
Manipulate puzzles, games, clay, snaps, buttons, and
shoelaces.
Develop rhythmic skills.
COGNITIVE--The students will:
Attend to and complete tasks.
Develop problem-solving skills.
Exhibit appropriate communication skills:
Respond appropriately to questions.
Maintain the subject line in a conversation.
Use complete sentences.
Share experiences in the learning group.
Show an active interest in their environment and an eagerness
to learn.
Apply reasoning from cause to effect in their behavior.
READING DEVELOPMENT--The students will:
Show an interest in words and symbols.
Be able to name or recount sounds heard.
Use rhyming skills.
Demonstrate the ability to listen to a story and supply a
reasonable ending.
THE FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL
Tualatin Valley Junior Academy�s Kindergarten program is set up to help
make the young student�s transition into their school environment a
pleasant
one. The first two days of Kindergarten are separated into three small
groups in which parent(s) and kindergartner spend one 2 1/2 hour
session
together with the Kindergarten teacher. Together we explore the school,
learn school rules and procedures, work on projects, find places for
personal
belongings, finalize important information, and get acquainted with other
Kindergarten families.
The first full day for Kindergartners is usually the third day of the regular
school calendar. The young students come to school that first full day
less
apprehensive and ready to enjoy their Kindergarten experience after
having
attended one of the small group sessions with their parent�s much
needed
presence and support.
Your family will be receiving information during the summer on these
parent/kindergartner sessions. You can then make an appointment by
calling
the school office and choosing either Session #1 from 9:00a.m. to
11:30a.m.
or Session #2 from 12:30p.m. to 3:00p.m.
KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES
It is the policy of Tualatin Valley Junior Academy to admit students of any
race, ethnic background, gender, or religious beliefs who are willing to
support the principles and regulations of the school.
Tualatin Valley Junior Academy uses development evaluations as one
of the
tools to help the school and families in accessing a child�s
developmental
readiness for school success. These developmental evaluations help
in
recognizing areas in which a child might have developmental delays
that may
make their school experience difficult. In many cases, a child
experiencing
school stress will develop a negative attitude toward school and have
poor
self-esteem. Information complied may indicate that it is in the child�s
best
interest to be allowed another year for further development and
enriching
experiences before entering Kindergarten. Tualatin Valley Junior
Academy
wants every child�s school experience to be a thriving one.
Kindergarten evaluations for children who will be 5 years old by
September lst are held the first week of May. Appointments can be
made
during our Open House in March and afterward by contacting the school
office. The following information must be received at the school office
by
the middle of April to guarantee evaluation appointments: completed
registration papers, fees paid, a copy of your child�s birth certificate and
immunization record, and a letter from your child�s previous child care
provider(s) or someone who has interacted with your child and can
provide
observational information.
You will receive the results of your child�s evaluation by mail within a
week. Acceptance letters into Tualatin Valley Junior Academy�s
Kindergarten
program are sent by the end of May.
__________
All Kindergartners are on a probationary period until November. If there
are concerns that a child is causing a large amount of classroom
disruption or
concerns that the child�s self-esteem is being damaged by over
placement in
the program, continuation in the Kindergarten program will be
reevaluated.
Children develop at their own pace; a child may have wonderful
intellectual
skills, but be very poor in social and emotional development. Your
child�s
school success is very important and it takes more than just a child�s IQ
to
be successful. We look at the TOTAL child which includes: health,
abilities
for good social interactions, small and large muscle development,
emotional
stability (are they able to practice self-control and mange success or
failure
appropriately), and cognitive maturity (are they able to listen purposefully
and without interruption).
CHILDHOOD IS A JOURNEY,
NOT A RACE.
PARENTS' COMMENTS:
Mrs. Gilmore's Kindergarten class has been a very good experience for
our
son, Christopher. Last year he attended a combination
Pre-K/Kindergarten
program at a different school, but we knew he wasn't yet ready for 1st
Grade
this year. Giving him a second year to mature and enrolling him in
Kindergarten at TVJA this fall was one of the best decisions we ever
made.
Mrs. Gilmore takes a more academic approach than some may expect
from a
Kindergarten program, but her class is full of fun as well. Christopher
looks forward to going to school. He has made new friends, loves
going to
computer class and to the school library, and is maturing into a more
self-
controlled boy. He has become comfortable with the alphabet and
phonics; he
is learning to read simple workds; he is writing sentences! And all of
this
has come within a well organized classroom where Christian values of
respect,
responsibility, and kindness are taught and demonstrated daily.
At this early point in their schooling, it is very important for children to
feel successful and to know that learning can be fun. They have too
many
years of schooling ahead to think of school as something that they must
struggle through. In Christopher we now see a boy who is equipped
with the
skills he will need to be successful in 1st Grade and who is growing in
his
understanding of what it means to be a Christian.
Patti and Bill Green
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�What we like about our son�s first year at TVJA is the focus not only on
scholastic achievement, but on personal and social development. As
our son
integrates into a more complex peer group compared to pre-school, he
needs
assistance with problem resolution and how to manage emotional
turmoil that
is a natural part of kindergarten. He gets far more of this kind of
attention and focus at TVJA than he would in a public school. Mrs.
Gilmore
uses her many years of experiences and applies a lot of hard work to
mold
this group in September into a social mature class of respectful boys
and
girls.
Furthermore, related to the academics, TVJA�s kindergarten program
has many
more hours of instruction compared to the Hillsboro School District.
Plus
that instruction is done in a classroom where there are only 20 students
maximum; a GREAT relief to us as parents. I remember how surprised
I was at
the Open House I attended in April of 2003 when I saw samples of
double digit
arithmetic and the beginnings of multiplication. The library is far more
than what I would normally expect and our son checks a book out each
week
that he can bring home to practice reading. Ms. Tami in the computer
lab
makes sure they get weekly exposure to learning and games on the
computer.
All in all, it is a well-managed program and SO worth every penny of
tuition.�
Joel and Amy Lupro
//////////////////
�TVJA and Mrs. Gilmore�s Kindergarten class are an answer to prayer
for us.
We were quite uncomfortable with the caliber of education we felt our
son
would be receiving at the local public school (not to mention the
nightmare
of coordinating before and after school care with both of us working full
time). We visited TVJA and were immediately comfortable in Mrs.
Gilmore�s
room. All the books, toys, and education aids were interesting,
challenging,
and most of them were things our son had not seen before. All the
kindergartners were so polite and did their best to make us feel
welcome and
to tell us about the activities. Our son wanted to start going to TVJA that
day. Add the fact the TVJA has quality on-site before and after
school care to the exceptional kindergarten program and we knew our
prayers
had been answered.
Mrs. Gilmore is providing her students with a wonderful foundation for
the
rest of their education and she is also giving them valuable social
interaction and problem resolution skills. One day our son had a
classmate
over to play. The boys had been playing for quite some time when we
heard a
bit of a disagreement. When asked if there was anything we could do to
help
our son said, �No thanks, we�re working it out�. Quite a change form the
usual �He said...�. Thank you Mrs. Gilmore.�
Claire Agner
////////////
�I think that this is a very diverse kindergarten program and that it is very
important for those impressionable minds. The program includes
math, writing,
spelling, health and physical fitness, spiritual fitness, science, and a
general awareness of others and working together.
I love the Eagle Feather program. I think it teaches a lot of good
samaritism
and social awareness to young minds. This program plants the seeds
for
children to grow into socially conscious young adults.
The mentor program with the upper classmates is another great
opportunity for
all participants. My son loves to share about helping others!�
Pam Brewer
/////////
�One of the things I value at TVJA is Christian education. Mrs. Gilmore is
a
teacher that teaches the whole child--spiritually, physically, and
mentally.
Mrs. Gilmore is a wonderful Christian and while my daughter was in her
classroom she learned about the love of Jesus. She would come home
singing
songs about God�s love and the Bible messages.
She taught the children to make good food choices to make our bodies
strong
and encouraged healthy eating.
Mrs. Gilmore�s reading program included all areas of reading. Students
learned phonics, phonemic awareness, phonetic spelling. literature
books, and
she incorporated the reading/writing process. Students were
encouraged to do
more when they were able and yet were gently guided when they were
struggling
with difficult concepts.�
Leslie Villegas
///////////////
�Before my daughter stated attending TVJA, she was a very quiet shy
girl.
After attending half the year at TVJA, I saw a BIG difference in her. She
had become more outgoing, had more confidence in herself. She was
teaching
her brother about school and about Jesus (which she never did before
attending TVJA). TVJA and Mrs. Gilmore have done wonderful things to
my
daughter. I am very satisfied with TVJA and especially Mrs. Gilmore.�
Claudia Beltran
///////////////
�Aletta Gilmore is a wonderful Kindergarten teacher. She strives to build
a
strong academic and moral foundation for your children in a fun-loving
environment.
The quality of education received here is phenomenal; public schools
can�t
even begin to compare. Here, your child matters.
When my son was advanced to the 1st grade, he cried because he
loves Mrs.
Gilmore so much. She genuinely cares about your child and their
success as a
person and a student.
The Kindergarten program Aletta has created is top-notch and I would
highly
recommend her class to anyone interested in giving their child an
excellent
start in their education.
I also want to say that when I took my son to interview for kindergarten
readiness (his birthday is two weeks before the cut off), Aletta was very
honest and said she felt he wasn�t emotionally mature enough. We
tried it
for a couple weeks and we decided he wasn�t ready; another year to
grow would
be best.
It was painful to think my child wasn�t ready. I felt I must be doing
something wrong. I soon figured out children mature at different rates.
I�m so glad we waited because the next year school was so much
easier for him
emotionally and academically. That extra year of maturation helped
tremendously!
With Aletta�s honesty and integrity we were together able to make the
right
choice for my child with absolutely no regrets.�
Kristi Hanchett
///////////////