Kindergarten

Kindergarten Fast Facts

• Max Class Size: 20 students
• Class Staff:
  • 1 full-time Certified Teacher
  • 1 full-time Teaching Assistant
• Age Accepted: 
  • A student who turns 5 years old between January 1 and August 31, will be processed as a Kindergarten Applicant. A student who turns 5 years old between September 1 and December 31 will be processed as a TK Applicant. Students who attend Kindergarten will proceed to 1st grade the following year. 
  • Students who attend our TK program will proceed to Kindergarten the following year. 
  • We kindly ask that your Kindergarten student be potty trained prior to enrolling at GRACE. 
• Hours: 8:15 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Days: Monday-Friday
• After Care: available for a fee from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The cornerstone of a GRACE Elementary School education is developing a love for learning and a love for the Lord. Bible stories provide foundations for living and tell events of the “Heroes of the Bible”; stories teach biblical truths of God’s power, love, and salvation. In addition, kindergarten students memorize weekly Bible memory verses. The use of role models, instruction in biblical principles, chapel, community service, and mission outreach opportunities help kindergarten students understand the love that God has for all people.

Academically, GRACE is committed to teaching core skills in all disciplines:

• Kindergarten students learn to read with a balanced literacy approach. Phonics and reading instruction include letter recognition and sound identification; long and short vowels; rhyming words; consonant blends and digraphs; sight words; C-V-C and C-V-C-E reading patterns; and whole and small group reading instruction. Reading instruction develops fluency and comprehension with both phonics readers and leveled readers.
• Writing includes the process of learning to put sounds and thoughts on paper.  During the writing process, students are taught that sentences form a complete thought, begin with a capital letter, and end with a period, exclamation mark, or question mark.  Students are taught manuscript writing and learn the proper formation of upper and lowercase letters.
• Kindergarten math builds number sense and fluency with hands-on lessons that build understanding with concrete-pictorial-abstract instruction. Instructional objectives include patterning and sorting; numeration; calendar; money; measurement; graphing; addition and subtraction; and problem-solving. 
• Topics in science are explored from a biblical perspective in earth science; physical science; space; technology and life science. Topics include weather; plants and animals; matter and how things work.
• In science and history, students explore different topics in a unit-based approach and learn about the earth, physical, and life science, and about their family and the community around them locally. 
• To engage students in their learning, field trips, and special events coincide with units of instruction. Special event days include Penguin Day, a Thanksgiving Feast celebration, Christmas Around the World, and a 100th Day Celebration.  Kindergarten students enjoy field trips to a local pumpkin patch with their Seniors from the Upper Campus, Marbles Kids Museum, Stoney Acres Farm, and Kids Together Playground.  Kindergarten students also enjoy a special mentoring relationship with GRACE high school seniors during Senior Sidekicks, when kindergartners are paired with students in the senior class for special activities.

In kindergarten, CleverTouch Boards and iPads are utilized to provide differentiated learning opportunities for students with varying learning styles and abilities. Weekly enrichment classes include regular time in the library, physical education, music, art, and Spanish.

All GRACE teachers are degreed and certified educators that provide appropriate academic challenges at each grade level while fostering a safe, loving, and caring environment.  GRACE teachers partner with parents to encourage critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration and to nurture Christian character in each student.