As we enter the final months of the 2024-25 school year, we also look ahead to 2025-26 and the educational journeys that are getting ready to begin in Maercker School District 60.
For kindergarten teachers like Danielle Wenc, that means preparing to build on the successful programming offered by the district to set up young learners for success.
“We have a dedicated team here at Holmes that collaborates weekly around how we can continue to support the academic and social emotional needs of our students,” said Wenc. “We incorporate hands-on learning as much as possible and are looking to incorporate purposeful play-based learning to create a developmentally appropriate curriculum that allows kids to learn through play.”
The kindergarten journey can be a stressful time not just for the students, but for their families. To help with this transition, Maercker D60 will once again be offering the Kindergarten Leap Program in the summer before the year kicks off. This program gives students the opportunity to come to Holmes for two weeks of learning, connection, and getting familiar with the routine of the school day which has made a positive impact for students and families.
The structure of the day may vary slightly depending on the classroom, but the general flow remains consistent. The day starts with a morning meeting, which is an opportunity for students to greet one another, learn about each other and a team building activity to help build classroom community. A review of classroom and school-wide expectations happens during this time to keep students safe, caring, and ready to learn.
“We go through the schedule for the day so students know what to expect out of their day and to set them up for success,” said Wenc. “One of the best things about teaching kindergarten is you get to see students become learners right before your eyes. The growth they show throughout the school year is something to be really proud of!”
After spending some time on phonics with the Amplify curriculum where students learn how to blend different sounds and grow the skills necessary to become confident readers, students get to participate in Choice Time Workshop. This is a time where students can connect with others at different stations and participate in a variety of activities like arts, imagination station, building, cardboard creation, and others.
“It is an unstructured play time within the structured classroom setting where students get a chance to explore what they are interested in,” said Wenc. “This is where students collaborate with others on their ideas and practice some of the social-emotional skills we have been learning in class. We also have additional opportunities for small group activities and hands-on academic centers that are created to build literacy skills.”
The afternoon includes lunch and recess as well as some quiet time afterwards for the students to decompress while reading or drawing. Next up is math with the Eureka Math Squared curriculum and the daily time with specialists. Kindergarten has gym class every day along with fine arts or science every other day. Specialists incorporate different parts of the curriculum into their classes and continue to find ways to get kids excited about learning.
Media Technology Specialist Lissa Blake also visits classrooms throughout the month with ways to connect learning to technology. This can include creating books with programs like Book Creator, preparing presentations about what they have learned, or using the green screen to insert themselves in the subject matter.
The goal of kindergarten isn’t just to teach academic skills, but to prepare students for their academic career. By incorporating movement, play, group work, technology, and other supports, Maercker D60 brings a holistic approach to elementary education that is seen in every classroom.
“We have a passionate team of teachers who are really student focused and constantly adapting to the needs of the students in front of us,” said Wenc. “The diversity in our community is incredible and we love bringing these perspectives together in fun ways. You can make anything exciting in kindergarten! It’s a great place to start a love of learning.”
