Kindergarten

WHAT IS KINDERGARTEN LIKE AT VALLEY?
Kindergarten is calm and comfortable. Children move between story workshop, small-group literacy, hands-on math, and generous outdoor time. The day has a steady rhythm that helps kids feel safe and ready to try new things. They build confidence speaking in front of classmates, learn how to be a kind friends, and find out that school can be both joyful and meaningful. Specialists round out the week with Spanish, Science, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and P.E.

STRONG EARLY LITERACY
Daily read-alouds, phonemic awareness, handwriting, and small groups expand each child’s skills as they are ready. Children hear rich language, talk about what they notice, and begin to see themselves as readers and writers. Targeted instruction supports each child’s path toward independent reading and develops a lifelong love of books. They author messages and simple stories for real audiences, which makes the work purposeful and fun. 

MATH YOU CAN TOUCH
Children sort, count, build, and explain their thinking with concrete materials. Students notice number patterns and place value in ways that make sense to young learners. Movement and games are frequently incorporated to keep learning lively. Kids learn why a strategy works or doesn't work, not just how to answer a question.

PERFORMING ARTS, SPANISH, SCIENCE, VISUAL ARTS, AND P.E.
Specialist classes enrich each day. Performing Arts builds voice and confidence through rhythm and storytelling. Science is hands-on and creative. Spanish is joyful and comprehensible, with movement and songs that help children connect sounds to meaning. Visual Arts emphasizes process, personal expression, and appreciation of one's own and others' work. Performing Arts builds voice and confidence through rhythm and storytelling. PE develops coordination and teamwork that carry back into the classroom and beyond.

COMMUNITY YOU CAN FEEL
Kindergarten is small by design, building relationships—student to teacher, student to student, family to school, and family to family. Children move between house-like buildings, stepping outside to reach specialist classes and to take movement breaks beyond scheduled recess and P.E. Along the way, they greet older student buddies and feel known by name. Families are welcome partners through simple classroom visits and low-key celebrations, making school feel like an extension of home.

OUTDOOR LEARNING EVERYDAY
The playground is a second classroom. Loose parts become bridges and balance tools. The rocket inspires big pretend play that builds language and social problem-solving. Long outdoor blocks help children focus, regulate emotions, and work as a team. With many natural features, our outdoor space changes with the seasons: students harvest fruit—grapes, apples, and quinces—then bring their discoveries into play and conversation. The Outdoor Classroom becomes a hands-on station for finger knitting and pumpkin carving, offering a calmer nook for making and collaboration. From the top of playground structures to layers of garden soil, children observe and appreciate the changing seasons, making observations and asking questions that carry back into the classroom.