UPDATE: The 2022-2023 School Year is our last school year for kindergarten. We have loved the adventure! 

 

Our Kindergarten year at Whitemarsh Day School specifically focuses on supporting children aged 5-7. At WDS, we have established a learning environment that is nurturing and comfortable. We provide a space where our students feel safe and are able to make mistakes, take risks, and grow through encouragement as they are guided on their individual learning paths. We believe that children learn by doing, and they learn best through their senses so the teachers provide ample opportunities for sensory involvement within the classroom environment.  Our approach to early learning is through lots of play.  When our children are given the opportunity to play in both child-initiated and teacher supported learning environments, it encourages a higher level of thinking. Children develop communication skills, concepts of language and problem solving.  These skills are essential for the 21st century learner. We move throughout our school grounds to different areas and do many of our activities outdoors in our learning zones. 

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The kindergarten curriculum and year at Whitemarsh Day School has been designed in direct connection with the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS) and the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for Kindergarten. In order to ensure that our students are ready for their 1st grade year, our Kinder teachers provide ongoing assessments and evaluations of the learning process in the classroom. Throughout the Kindergarten year, you will have scheduled meetings with our Kinder teachers as well as get progress reports on your child’s developing skills. We believe that forming open, collaborative, and respectful relationships with parents and families is extremely important. While Kindergarten is not mandatory in the state of Georgia, we know that working together as educators and parents to create an enriching environment will prepare our students for the “next step” of entering formal schooling.

 

Whitemarsh Day School ensures that all children have access to our kindergarten teaching team for 180 days for 7.5 hours each day. Our Kindergarten lead teachers have earned a bachelor's degree in elementary or early childhood education. Our assistant teachers have earned a bachelor’s degree, as well. In order to maintain the highest standards, our teachers and assistants are required to continue their learning with abundant hours of professional development as it relates to early childhood.

 

The entire teaching team at WDS is committed to providing an approach to early learning based on reliable and current research. We would love for your family to join our school family and work alongside us to provide the best outcomes for our children as they become life-long learners.