Junior 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. Independent decision making, collaborative learning and the fostering of leadership skills are 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. Outside of their home classroom, Junior Kindergarten children have small group classes in Music, Fine Arts, Drama, Wellness/Athletics and Library. We use the specialist classes to foster rapid growth, independence and learning during this period of time. The expectations for this class increase quickly and as a result the class begins the year as a preschool class, but ends as a Kindergarten class.

Junior 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. Junior Kindergarten is also the first grade that lunch is served in school. We are committed to catering our lunch with organic, local, and sustainable food free of antibiotics or hormones. Seasonal foods are incorporated into all lunch menus and children can choose from a variety of healthy foods, including a selection of hot entrees, prepared and tossed salads, sandwiches, soups, and healthy desserts. Strict food handling policies are enforced so that children with allergies can eat safely. Mandell is also a nut aware school.

Formal conferences are held for the parents of Junior Kindergarten students three times a year and teachers and specialists are available at all times via e-mail or phone.

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, Drama, Wellness/Athletics and Library. They also study American Sign Language as their first formal alternate language in our Language Lab. Formal study of French and Spanish begins in First Grade. School uniforms are required in Kindergarten. The 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 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 include drama, art, music, photography, chess and sports, as well as language programs in French and Italian.