Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten

Junior Kindergarten is the second year of "Pre-Kindergarten" prior to Kindergarten for those late summer and fall birthday children who have spent a year in Pre-Kindergarten I. Independent decision making, collaborative learning and the fostering of leadership skills are again essential to the functioning of this class. As the class between Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, the curriculum and expectations change rapidly during the course of the year. This is also the class from which Mandell students will exmit, moving to other on-going schools for Kindergarten.

Kindergarten students at Mandell continue to develop and solidify their independent decision making, collaborative learning and leadership skills through the exploration of themselves, their newly assembled peer group and the families that comprise the community of their school. Independent choice-time, literacy creative writing, science, math and technology are all part of the students' daily routine. This is accomplished through both integrated thematic units of study and independent "mini-lessons". Throughout the year each student is encouraged to participate in the assessment of their development and to provide input to their teachers in the assembly of their ongoing "portfolio" of work, fostering self-assessment as a natural extension of their school experience.

Outside of their home classroom, Kindergarten students have small group classes in Music, Fine Arts, Wellness/Athletics and Library. They also study American Sign Language as their first formal language class in our Language Lab. Formal study of either French or Spanish begins in First Grade.

Kindergarten at Mandell is the first grade in which school uniforms are required. This uniform includes a wide variety of choices for both girls and boys and is administered by Lands End, allowing for maximum comfort for students and ease of purchase for Parents.

Formal conferences are held for the parents of Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten students three times a year and teachers and specialists are available at all times via e-mail or phone. Kindergarten is the first grade in which students are eligible for the full roster of after school programs. These programs will include drama, art, music, photography, chess and sports.