Kindergarten

We believe in educating the whole child.

Preparing for elementary through play, inquiry and hands-on experiences

Our Kindergarten focuses on preparing students to become confident and independent learners while providing a hands-on learning environment. It’s an exciting time for students as they learn to find and express their own unique voices, and we focus on giving students lots of experiences to build on throughout the year. There is a focus on social emotional development within the class setting as well as through weekly lessons.

At GIS we also incorporate plenty of both structured and unstructured outdoor learning and play time, which is essential to emotional, social, and physical development.

Children grow in confidence and self-awareness as they develop the ability to work productively on their own and as members of a group. Classroom routines, activities, and expectations are designed to help children grow in their understanding of, and appreciation for the interests,opinions and talents of others.

IB Units of Inquiry guide learning throughout the year

Students are immersed in reading, writing, listening and speaking activities as they move through the Units of Inquiry.

The math program incorporates problem solving, reasoning, communication, and making connections in mathematics.

Students learn about other countries and cultures. Emphasis is given to understanding and appreciating both the similarities and differences of others. Students learn to ask questions, to listen to each other, and to apply past information to new situations.

Students engage in a hands-on program that combines both physical and life science units such as plants, animals and the effects of garbage on ecosystems.

In their units of inquiry they can then use a wide variety of media such as clay, paint, dye, and collage to reflect their knowledge and develop an appreciation and love of artistic expression

Language Learning in Kindergarten

• Children gain pre-literacy skills by learning to recognize and print the upper and lower case letters of the alphabet.
• Essential mathematical skills are developed through counting and sorting games and calendar recognition.
• Children explore the world around them through field trips and express themselves artistically and musically.
• Seasonal themes, songs, and stories all reinforce the child’s progress toward formal education in German and Chinese.