St. Michael School started a Jr. Kindergarten program in 2008.   The Jr. Kindergarten program will allow children who are five years old (with an early birthday before Sept. 30) to explore, socialize, grow, develop, and learn while becoming an integral part of a nurturing and spiritual St. Michael School family.  The program is Monday through Friday mornings.

 

Children's developmental growth will be given the opportunity to flourish in this new program that will provide a wide variety of educational and age-appropriate experiences in religion, science, math, language arts, social studies, computers, music, art, and physical education.  Students will participate in large and small group activities, interact with students and participate in class through play, as well as interact one on one with the Jr. Kindergarten teacher.   The maximum class size is 19.

 

Children will come to feel familiar and safe and gain a simple understanding of what it means to be a part of a school community.   The Jr. Kindergarten program will have full use of school facilities such as the gymnasium, library, computer lab, audio/visual materials, and playground.   Students will participate in school prayer and church services as well as school assemblies.

 

At St. Michael's Jr. Kindergarten, children are cared for, nurtured, and presented with learning opportunities in a child-centered program that promotes spirituality, along with a developing curriculum, focusing on thinking skills that will prepare them for full-day kindergarten.

 

By the time a child enters the Jr. Kindergarten program, he/she has developed a basic understanding of how the world works.  The school's goal is to help a child feel comfortable entering full-day kindergarten as well as develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and most important spiritually by giving them an additional year to prepare and learn.  Children continue to work on social skills such as cooperating, helping, negotiating, and talking to solve interpersonal problems.  The school's goal is for them to develop high self-esteem and positive feelings towards learning.