Transitional Kindergarten

The Children's Schoolhouse has acknowledged that as public schools place greater demands on Kindergarten, alternative programs are needed to bridge the gap between preschool and kindergarten. In 2003, the first Transitional Kindergarten class was started with 6 students meeting in the afternoon. The purposes and philosophy of this class include:

That children learn best in a hands-on, stress-free environment.
That the first concern for a child's education is a solid sense of self; confidence, inner motivation, problem solving, self-direction, and an excitement for the learning process.
That some children, whether because of age, social, motor, or cognitive reasons will be better able to succeed in the school environment with an extra year of maturity.
That a 5 day, 1/2 day program, with more group learning activities is a stepping stone to the full school schedule.
The Transitional Kindergarten (TK) class follows the same calendar, and shares the same parental involvement and commitments as the morning preschool program.

It is lead by Schoolhouse teacher(s) with a parent volunteer in the classroom. The class has a minimum of 6 children and a maximum of 14.

Curriculum The transitional class will focus on emergent curriculum - providing a literacy-rich environment to play with language in a wide variety of ways. Math concepts are explored through manipulatives and Montessori. Other experiences include process art; explorative science; rhythm & music, small group games; practical application of positive character traits, and problem solving through child-initiated and child-directed projects. TK participates in playground time, lunch bunch, and fieldtrips. Children who turn 5 between June 1st and December 31st are considered eligible for the transitional class; children with earlier or later birthdays may be considered at the discretion of the Board. Application is made during the regular Schoolhouse process, following the same priority and lottery process.