The Weekly Update #4

We are fast approaching the start of your child’s education career. We hope you and your child are excited as we are to start this new experience together. We know this is a big step, and we want to make sure we get it right. This starts with class placement.

Classrooms are little communities. When putting together class lists for all other grades, we lean on the previous year's teachers' expertise to make sure it is a well-balanced blend of learners. Since many kindergarteners are brand-new to us, making class lists often feels like a guessing game. We don’t want to guess. We want to get it right. So to help us create the best learning communities, we have a unique program we call Camp Kindergarten.

Camp Kindergarten is what we are calling the first week of school (August 25-28) for our kindergarteners. Camp Kindergarten will help your child ease into what a full day of school is like while also giving us time to get to know your child to place them in the best classroom environment. We will assign them a “Camp Counselor” (one of our amazing Kindergarten teachers), a “Cabin” (a classroom), and all the camp essentials like a locker, desk/table, and a consistent daily schedule. They will learn the kindergarten classrooms’ daily routines, attend specials, lunch, and recess–all the normal kindergarten things. While they will have their assigned Camp Counselor, they will work with the entire kindergarten team throughout the day. They will enjoy fun-filled learning activities that will allow our staff to evaluate classroom fit based on academic and social/emotional/behavioral needs. After a week of learning together, we will determine the best classroom placement and notify you of your child’s classroom teacher for the 25/26 academic year via email on Friday, August 29. They will then begin learning with their official class on Tuesday, September 2.

In lieu of a traditional “Open House”, we will have a Camp Kindergarten Kick-Off on Wednesday, August 20. We will gather together in the cafeteria where I will welcome you, and then your Camp Counselor will take you to explore your Cabin so you and your student feel ready for the first day. Families will be assigned an arrival time between 5 PM and 6 PM. Watch your email the week of August 18 for your Camp Counselor and Kick-Off time assignment.

We know this is a different approach to the beginning of the school year. But this is an advantage of being a small school. We can take the time to get to know your child to ensure the best possible start to their education experience.

Please see below for a FAQ with more details and a printable sign to use for that first day of Camp Kindergarten picture. Feel free to reach out should you have any further questions.

To ensure you get all the necessary notifications, complete your child's new student enrollment paperwork as soon as possible if you haven't already.

We look forward to seeing you all soon!