In Shelby Hartmann’s kindergarten class, each day begins with attendance. Students enter the classroom and answer a Question of the Day, which not only tells the class which friends are present for the school day, but also helps them to get to know each other better. After the students take a seat, every student is greeted individually by name and they respond with “Good morning, Mrs. Hartmann!”
Having a structure to the day is important for young learners as it promotes early literacy and number skills essential for later academic achievements. It also fosters social and emotional development, interacting with peers and adults to work on cooperation, communications, empathy and problem solving, regulating emotions, and building resilience
Karen Maldonado Reyes also teaches kindergarten at GFW Elementary and her students are greeted in a similar way, just in multiple languages with the first half of the day in Spanish and the second half in English.
“Teachers work hard in building a relationship with each student,” said Maldonado. “That will build confidence in the student and the collaboration among peers helps them be confident to succeed in class.”
These types of personal connections are not only a nice way to start the day, they set the tone for the whole kindergarten experience, where every student is treated, supported, and taught as an individual. Kindergarten isn’t just an introduction to being at school all day, it’s an incredibly important part of child development in all areas.
Back to class. Once students are settled, they begin a morning job like tracing their name, drawing a picture, or writing in their journals. When everyone is accounted for, the morning routine begins with the pledge of allegiance, the morning meeting, and the good morning song.
“The morning meeting is one of my favorite times of the day because you really get to know the kids on a deeper level and it reinforces the ‘Our Class is a Family’ mindset,” said Hartmann. “After our morning routine, we go to the calendar area and begin with our affirmations to get ourselves in a positive and confident mindset to learn.”
Talking about the calendar may seem simple, but it’s a pivotal part of the daily math routine. The class tracks how many days they have been in school through money, tallies, ten frames, and other tools and talk about the days of the week, months of the year, important dates and celebrations, and the weather temperature for the day. Next up is the literacy block where they focus on both skills and knowledge with phonics, grammar, and get to listen to a story and work on vocabulary. The afternoon features recess and lunch followed by a brief rest time where students can lay quietly listening to piano music or read silently to themselves.
“Developmentally, this part of the day is so important because unwinding in the middle of our day gives us the boost we need to get through the afternoon,” said Hartmann. “We understand that our students are coming to us as five year olds who are just beginning their path in education. It’s important that we prioritize meeting each child where they are socially, emotionally, academically, and we do!”
Once students are rested, they get time with specialists in music, gym, or STEAM where they get to really dive into different areas and have a bit of fun while they are at it. Every student also has What I Need or WIN time where personalized learning really comes alive.
Students who may need a little extra help with skills can get help from interventionists and students who are ready to push a little further can build on their success and learn more. The classes come back together for math where students learn about number sense, counting, addition/subtraction, word problems, and more followed by a snack.
Free choice time features a variety of fun activities for students to participate in including a sensory table, dress up and dramatic play, building blocks, cars and animals, coloring, and others. This may look like kids playing, but it’s actually a great way to teach skills around working together, taking turns, and to encourage students to try new things.
The daily routine is just one part of the fun. Annual traditions in kindergarten include the Star of the Week program where students get to share their favorite book with the class and help the teacher, an ABC countdown to the last day of school, and more. A fan favorite is also the 100th day of school where students dress up as if they are 100 years old and celebrate all things around the number 100.
“GFW is a school that has a philosophy of nurturing the whole child, setting them up for future success, and fostering a lifelong love of learning,” said Maldonado. “There is also a strong sense of community where most of the parents participate in programs that the school offers.”
By providing each student a positive experience in kindergarten, they are more likely to continue to have positive feelings toward school as they move forward in their educational career.
“One of the best things about GFW is that our class sizes are small, which allows us to build relationships that will last beyond our classroom.” said Hartmann. “These personal connections and relationships are what set us apart from everywhere else. It’s so special to get to continue to watch these kids grow throughout the years. My first group of students are now getting their driver’s licenses, that’s pretty incredible to watch!”
Will your child be five years old by September 1, 2025? If so, we hope you will join us in kindergarten next year at our brand new school! Watch social media, the district website, and local papers for information about Kindergarten Kick Off for the 2025-26 school year.
