Kindergarten

Welcome to our kindergarten family! Kindergarten is such a sweet year full of love, learning and growth. From the very start we will make new friends, discover new interests, and strengthen our relationship with God! Kindergarten is an amazing year of social-emotional growth; we will be writing weekly feelings, opinions, and memories in class each week. At the very end of the school year these writings will be bound into a book for each learner!

Mrs. Carina Sullivan, Teacher
Ms. Nicole Figueroa, Aide

Our Kindergarten Program is designed to create a strong foundation in literacy, independence, and social-emotional development. Rooted in the Science of Reading, our approach ensures that every child gains the skills needed to become a confident reader while also developing the independence and social skills essential for lifelong learning. With a balanced approach that blends structured literacy instruction, hands-on exploration, and social development, we create an engaging and supportive environment where every child can thrive.

We have a few special projects each year and each one highlights our learning journey! In the Fall, each student designs an alphabet vest that highlights one of the letters of the alphabet in preparation for our big Alphabet Fashion Show! In the Spring, we work on our RHLS-famous Animal reports. Your little learner will choose an animal to do their very first report on and once it is finished, you will video them presenting it. We then watch all of the presentations as a class. This is always a fan-favorite project!

Each year we have two exciting field trips! First, at a local dentist’s office we learn all about what “sugar buggies” and flossing do for our teeth. The highlight is always making our own Tooth Boxes! Second, at the Roundhouse Aquarium in Manhattan Beach we learn all about ocean animals around us and how to take care of our gorgeous beaches. The trip is topped off with a beach picnic and usually a dolphin sighting!

We have weekly homework sheets and book bags that are sent home on Mondays and are returned completed each Friday. The homework is meant as a time to show off skills we are learning in class and to promote nightly reading. Homework should not be more than 10 minutes in the evening, including reading time.

In Kindergarten, technology is used sparingly. A smart board in the front of the class is used for projecting project instruction and “brain breaks.” iPads are used for weekly technology classes, where students learn to use technology with respect, sign in and sign out independently, and learn foundational concepts for programming, which supports critical thinking and number sense skills.