Welcome to Kindergarten
It is my privilege to welcome you and your child to SFC Kindergarten. My name is Cindy Cornwell and I have been teaching for 28 years and kindergarten for 24. I earned my degree from WSU. My postgraduate work was completed at PLU and UPS. I have been teaching at SFC for 20 years, and my two daughters graduated from St. Frances Cabrini.
The kindergarten child learns best through touch, exploration and movement; through activities that engage the whole child. I believe that every child has the right to an education in a safe, compassionate and spiritual environment.
Child Development
Spiritual: The kindergarten child has a natural sense of wonder and awe
- Experiences God through parents and guardians from whom they experience God’s love
- Prayer (formal and spontaneous) comes naturally; enjoys ritual and ceremony
- Interprets Bible stories literally
Emotional/Social: The kindergarten child typically gets along well with others
- Plays best with friends in pairs rather than in larger groups
- Begins to understand rules, the concepts of winning/losing and working together
- Affirmation of their abilities and dignity as persons vital to their development
Physical: Changes occur rapidly in the growth and development of a kindergarten child
- They vary greatly in height and weight and coordination is not yet fully developed
- Fine motor skills such as printing, coloring and cutting continue to develop and can be challenging
- Large motor skills such as clapping, hopping and skipping are developing
- Short attention span and increased motor activity make staying on task difficult
Kindergarten Highlights
- Field trip to the Pumpkin Patch in October and end of year trip to Pt. Defiance
- Happy Birthday, Jesus party and participation in the all-school Christmas program in December
- 100th Day of Kindergarten Celebration
Service/Stewardship
We are all God’s caretakers and the kindergarten class becomes active participants in our school/parish community through our class service activity - sharing our time and talents. The kindergarten class straightens the hymnals, envelopes and pews of the church. We begin each session with a ritual prayer and blessing of our hands, hearts and minds as we prepare to do God’s work.
Curriculum
Religion: Through songs, stories, class prayer services and interaction with their peers, the kindergarten child learns the gospel values of community, faith, hope, courage, love, reconciliation, service and justice.
Language Arts
- Includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
- Letter recognition, letter-sound association, letter formation and basic sight words are taught through stories, playing games, singing, memorizing poems, making books and journal writing
Mathematics
- Patterning, naming shapes, counting to 120, number recognition, adding and subtracting numbers through 5, ordering of numbers and calendar concepts
- Math concepts are taught through a variety of activities such as math games, graphing, whole group instruction, math centers and stories
Social Studies
- Develop an awareness, cooperation, and appreciation of themselves and others as member of a community
- Understand that all groups need rules and standards
- Learn to express feelings appropriately
- Learn about traffic, fire and personal safety
Science
- Explore elements of the scientific process (observe, predict, gather data)
- Life cycles of plants, animals and insects
Art, PE, Music and Library enhance the kindergarten curriculum.