Kindergarten Program

 

This program offers students an opportunity to prepare for elementary school in a loving, high quality program. Taught by certified and experienced teachers, our kindergarten classes build a strong foundation in Christian education while developing the fundamentals needed to succeed in school.

 

CCS offers full and half day programs and small class sizes. Our half day Kindergarten program is unique in the Tallahassee area, in that it is a four hour morning program. (8:30-12:30). The Kindergarten and First Grade teachers work together to make sure that a student leaving the CCS Kindergarten program is fully prepared academically to enter first grade.  Children participate in developmentally appropriate activities that promote spiritual, intellectual, physical, social and emotional growth. Students must five years old by September 1st to enroll. Our Kindergarten program is fully accredited by SACS and ACSI.


Curriculum


What is Christian Education?

 

Christian education is distinctive in that it presents all subject areas in the context of God’s view of the world. When a student is taught from a Biblical worldview, by a teacher with a personal relationship with Jesus, the result is Christian Education. The student develops higher level thinking skills, character qualities, and a work/study ethic based on an understanding of what the Bible has to say about life. All of his life choices are made based on his understanding of the Bible and the plan God has for his life.

 

Students are encouraged to develop their intellect to its fullest potential through cultivating the habits of mind that enable them to become life long learners. It is our desire that students who leave CCS will encounter and impact today’s culture with the ability to think Biblically, defend their faith and manage their personal and professional lives in a way that will bring honor to God.

 

What are the characteristics of a typical kindergartner?

 

The average Kindergarten student is enthusiastic, helpful and wants to do what is expected of him. He needs attention, affection and encouragement. His energy is evident in his fidgeting and short attention span. Sometimes, his opposite extremes of emotions and behavior can be surprising.

 

During this year, you can expect your Kindergartner to:

 

· develop a positive, realistic self-image

· learn to respect himself

· begin to understand his own uniqueness

· gain awareness of his feelings

· learn to express feelings

· Begin to learn from his mistakes

 

Overall, Kindergartners are all about the business of changing!

 

 

SPIRITUAL FORMATION
 

At CCS, our spiritual formation program is the most important thing we do. Through daily interactions and classroom Bible instruction, we want to teach our students to know God’s Word, praise His name and grow daily as young believers.

 

A major focus in Kindergarten is learning to share prayer requests and praying for one another, our school, and our families.

 

Bible lessons are based on familiar Bible stories, and students learn to respect and treasure God’s Word. Students memorize short scripture verses and learn to apply them to their lives.

 

 
FIELD TRIPS AND SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
 

Field trips and special activity days enhance the educational program for Kindergartners. Some of these include:

-Bumper Bowling
-Painted Pony
-Scarecrow Day
-Doughnuts with Dad
-Muffins with Mom

 

In addition, Kindergartners participate in a number of school-wide events including:

-Spirit Days
-Annual Christmas Program

-Grandparents’ Day

-Year-end Celebration

 

 
BIBLE
 

Familiar Bible stories are expanded into a theme of “God’s Gifts to Me” as first graders study how God gives gifts.  Bible lessons include the following gifts God gives: a place to live, a family, leaders, helpers, His Son, His Word and the church.

 
MATH
 

Through the study of our number system with its exact, precise, reliable and logical nature,    children are provided a glimpse of our Creator. The Saxon Kindergarten Math program provides a system of daily

instruction, practice, and assessments to actively engage students in the learning process. Concepts are developed through hands-on math experiences and concrete examples that help the children develop abstract and higher-order thinking skills. The core of the Kindergarten  mathematics curriculum focuses on the mastery of these concepts and skills:

-Counting, reading & writing  numbers

-Ordinal numbers
-Ordering numbers to 20
-Counting by ones, tens
-Counting backwards, skip counting
-Recognizing, explaining and creating patterns
-Identifying geometric shapes
-Estimation
-Comparing & combining sets of objects
-Acting out addition and subtraction problems
-Identifying and counting pennies and dimes

-Sorting objects; identifying sorting rule
 
   

 

 

 

 
Resources and Textbooks
 

-Open Court Reading & Writing
-ABEKA Phonics

-Saxon Math

-Teacher created units

 
MUSIC
 

Music is a natural, joyful part of young children’s lives. It can also be a wonderful blessing in our lives when we are given the tools to understand and enjoy it. Singing, moving, playing instruments, and creating music are all part of our elementary school music curriculum.

 

Weekly classes include activities and
instruction in:
-Tuneful singing and scales
-Tempo, dynamics & rhythm
-Staff notation
-Instrument families
-Moving expressively to music

 
ART
 

CCS believes that Christians have a responsibility to express and develop their creative nature in accordance with the standards of beauty and truth revealed in scripture. Various art activities are incorporated throughout the instructional program, and Kindergarten students have multiple opportunities to:

 

-Express themselves creatively

-Explore color, pattern, and design
-Share their artistic creations with friends and family

 
LANGUAGE ARTS

The purpose of the Language Arts program in the elementary program at CCS is to teach students to understand and communicate effectively in oral and written formats. The ultimate goal is for students to be able to effectively articulate and communicate the gospel message. The students will understand that they are created in the image of a God who communicates clearly with His people.

Highlights of the Kindergarten Language Arts program are:

 

-Systematic instruction in phonics to develop phonemic awareness, oral fluency and strong decoding skills
-Exposure to a wide variety of quality children’s literature
-Vocabulary development through reading aloud daily from varied subject areas that will build background knowledge
-Learning  high frequency sight words
-Practice in handwriting
-Developing writing skills with independent creative writing   opportunities
-Learning how to evaluate a story and apply Biblical principles
-Opportunities to develop listening and speaking skills through simple presentations to classmates
-Developing thinking skills—asking questions, determine cause/consequences/make predictions

-Developing oral language skills —speaking clearly with appropriate volume and eye contact
 

 

 

SOCIAL STUDIES

Analyzing past and present events
in history and identifying God’s
purposes through them provides a perspective that will enable students to better affect their community and world as the Lord directs them through life.

Some of the units of study in
Kindergarten are:

-Homes
-Families
-Thanksgiving

-Our country
SCIENCE

The teaching of science at CCS is
designed to reveal the glory of the Creator.  Students are taught that God is in all of science and all that takes place in nature is directly under the control of a sovereign God. 

The Kindergarten curriculum includes some of these areas of study: 

-Bears
-Ducks
-Nutrition
-Seasons
-Rocks
-Plants
-Scientific Method
-Sea Life

-Insects
ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

CCS is happy to offer parents the option of enrolling their child in our half day (8:30-12:30)or full day (8:30-3:00) program. A combination plan is also available.

LIBRARY

The CCS Library supports the school’s instructional program by providing a wide variety of  materials as well as instruction in how to use them. Kindergarten teachers maintain classroom libraries from which students check out books to take home on a weekly basis.

 

In addition, Kindergarteners make monthly visits to the school library for story hour programs presented by our school librarian. These activities help acclimate them to the larger library and give them a sense of anticipation and confidence about what to expect in first grade.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The goal of the CCS Physical Education
program is to promote lifetime wellness and fitness in order to better serve God and others.

 

Once weekly classes emphasize: 
-Learning to take care of our bodies

-Skill development
-Sportsmanship and correct techniques rather than specific outcomes
-Developing an awareness of and appreciation for our bodies