St. James School

St. James Catholic School
Kindergarten Handbook

St. James School
1204 St. James Ct.
Madison, WI 53715

We wish to welcome all of you who will have children attending kindergarten this fall. It is truly a magical year. We are happy and honored to be part of your child’s life.

The foundations for a kindergarten program have been laid by the first and most important teachers a child will ever have ~ YOU! As parents you have listened to, conversed with, played with, read to and provided a rich background of experiences, which enables all future learning. Now a circle of school friends and teachers join to provide additional experiences and extend your child’s opportunities for further development.
It is our goal in kindergarten to help children reach their God-given potential.

“Let the children come to me and do not hinder them.
It is to just such as these that the Kingdom of God belongs.
I assure you whoever does not accept the reign of God like a little
child shall not take part in it.”  Then he embraced and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.
(Mark 10: 14-16)


St. James Kindergarten

St. James Kindergarten is a readiness program. That is our goal. It is designed to help each child gain the necessary skills for a successful first grade year. HOWEVER, it is very important that children still get to be children, which is why we foster and encourage free choice or play time as a big component of our kindergarten day. We believe children need opportunities to work together and learn social behavior. Getting kindergarteners ready for first grade does not mean substituting academics for playtime. The two have a healthy balance here at St. James.
Kindergarten is a time for children to expand their love of learning, their general knowledge of the world around them, and their ability to get along with others. Our kindergarten curriculum includes snack time, recess, rest time, individual and group activities in addition to Religion, Math, Science, Phonics, Spanish, Music, Physical Education, Computers, and Art.

Our kindergarten classroom is a happy, loving, nurturing place where each child can feel safe and confident. We are a family and families come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. We work for the education and growth of the entire child, which means their cultural identity as well as their spiritual, emotional, social, and physical development.

St. James Kindergarten Curriculum

Language and Literacy Development
Language development involves speaking, writing, and reading. During the year your kindergartner will experience the enjoyment of reading while learning the foundational strategies and skills that will enable him/her to read independently (phonemic awareness, letter names and sounds, decoding skills, high frequency words, etc). In our kindergarten program children will have the opportunity to:

* Listen to and join in the reading of stories, songs and poems
* Respond to stories through discussions, art, music and movement
* Explore letters, sounds and words
* Experiment with writing by drawing, dictating, copying, and best guess spelling journals
* Browse through self-selected books
* Write and illustrate various types of books



Math and Science
We know that the five-year-old acquires an understanding of math and science through repeated experiences using concrete hands-on materials and manipulatives. Here at St. James our Science program uses FOSS, which is a totally hands-on curriculum. In our Math and Science program the children will:

* Sort and classify
* Create and repeat patterns
* Match objectsMeasure
* Problem solve
* Estimate and predict
* Count, write and recognize numbers to 30
* Count by 5’s and 10’s
* Learn to tell time by the hour
* Identify coins and their values
* Explore, question and observe

Physical Development
The physical development and well being of each child is very important to his/her overall growth. At St. James we know and understand that young children are still developing their physical stature as well as their attitude toward good health. In our program children will:

* Develop a sense of their place in space
* Find enjoyment in participating in physical activities
* Learn and practice rules of safety
* Learn to care for his/her body
* Learn healthy food choices
* Practice coordinating their bodies by skipping, galloping, jogging, etc.

Social and Emotional Development
Here at St. James we provide a loving nurturing environment, which is intrinsic to learning. When children feel confident and comfortable their self esteem is strengthened and the “sky is the limit” as to what they are capable of learning and doing. We focus on many concepts that are lifelong skills. In our kindergarten program children find a happy and safe classroom where they can:

* Feel a sense of belonging
* Obtain approval and affection from teachers and peers
* Share, take turns and ask questions
* Learn from the large group
* Practice politeness, respect and kindness
* Accept guidance
* Experience joy and satisfaction from self-expression and success
* Know it is okay to make mistakes

Creative Expression
The kindergarten child needs many ways to express personal thoughts and feelings. Just as the child’s verbal skills continue to develop so must the opportunity for creative expression to grow and shine forth. This is done through art, music, movement, and literature. In our kindergarten program children will have the opportunity to:

* Use their voice in singing
* Learn about various musical instruments
* Dance
* Explore different art media (paint, crayons, clay, plaster, etc.)
* Learn about famous artists and their work
* Participate in field trips
* Express themselves creatively
* Participate in dramatic plays and school programs


Spiritual Development/Religion Curriculum
Those four little words “What Would Jesus Do” can summarize our Religion Curriculum and the spiritual growth we hope the children gain throughout the year. Jesus is at the heart of all we do each and every day. He is our friend, teacher and brother. It is this Jesus that the children will learn about and try to imitate in their day to day living. In our program the children will have the opportunity to:

* Attend St. James church for prayers and Mass
* Listen to and join in reading bible stories, songs and poems
* Respond to Bible stories through drawing, drama, music, and movement
* Participate in seasonal activities (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter)
* Learn a new prayer each month
* Care for our school and community through service projects
* Care for our earth by practicing energy conservation, recycling, etc.
* Act like Jesus