Welcome to Kindergarten

Welcome to the world of Kindergarten! As your child’s teachers, we would like to say that we are excited about our new Bull Run Elementary School kindergarten classes. Be assured that we will make every effort to make this school year a great success for each of our students.

In kindergarten we are providing many different types of learning experiences to meet the needs of all types of learners. In our classrooms, you'll find students engaged in active hands-on learning through exploration, small group instruction, and activities that involve the whole class.   We provide flexible grouping and differentiated instruction.  We believe in proving a safe and supportive classroom environment so that our students become a community that celebrates unique qualities. 

The Kindergarten day is set up to provide multiple opportunities for  integration in the core subjects.  Listed below you will find some of the units and methods used in Kindergarten.

Language Arts

Literacy stations                        Letter identification
Guided reading                         Phonics activities
Word study                              “Handwriting Without Tears” program
Writing activities                       Big books
Read alouds                             Take home reading program

Math                                                

Sorting                                                      
Graphing                                                    
Patterns                                                    
Numbers up to 31                                       
Measurement                                              
Solids, shapes, and sharing                         
Number sense                                             
Time and money                                         
Exploring addition and subtraction                 

Science     

Shapes and colors
Fall plants:  pumpkins
Animal Adaptations:  squirrels
Five Senses
Seasonal changes
Magnets
Erosion/Sink and Float
Ants
Natural resources 

Social Studies

History – Patriotic symbols, comparing life in the past to life in the present, famous Americans
Geography – Learn to describe locations of people, places, and things
Develop an awareness of maps and globes
Civics – Learn the behaviors of a good citizen
Become aware of individual rights and responsibilities
Economics – Recognize the difference between needs and wants
Discuss how people earn a living in a community

Our students also participate in a Thanksgiving Feast in November and an opera in the spring.  We lead the school in a Memorial Day sing-a-long in May.  We believe these activities build self-confidence as well as open doors for future performers, speakers, educators, and the like.  As you can see, Kindergarten is a very busy place to be!

We look forward to getting to know you and your child this year!

                                                Margaret Welker & Ann Chevalier
                                                Katie DiGiovanni & Teresa Scroggs
                                                Diane Lotz & Elaine Clubb
                                                Kirsten Smith & Sevim Bowman