Curriculum
The Senior Kindergarten Program builds on the foundation laid in the Early Childhood and Pre-Kindergarten programs and enhanced in Junior Kindergarten. Love of learning and respect for education are emphasized in all academic areas. Understanding that all children do not learn in the same way, we teach for understanding through auditory, visual and kinesthetic activities.
The Senior Kindergarten Program is designed to promote an atmosphere in which each student strives for individual achievement, assumes responsibility for his or her actions, understands and respects the dignity of classmates and realizes the need for civility in our society. These concepts are the beginning stages of becoming a leader in the classroom community.
We incorporate active and interactive learning and make use of natural connections between subject areas to help students construct meaning from concepts. Our Social Studies curriculum focuses on students identifying and understanding increasingly larger conceptual stages such as self-knowledge, understanding of group dynamics, and personal responsibility as a community member. Our Math curriculum utilizes Singapore Math. This program involves the Concrete > Pictorial > Abstract approach. The students are provided with the necessary learning experiences beginning with the concrete and pictorial stages, followed by the abstract stage to enable them to learn mathematics meaningfully. This approach encourages the active thinking process, communication of mathematical ideas and problem solving. In Reading and Writing, the students are encouraged to use inventive spelling, but are also developing sight word knowledge, and strive to spell these specific words correctly. The students learn to decode words, sentences and stories with comprehension and understanding. Senior Kindergartners demonstrate an expanding vocabulary by retelling events and stories in expanded sentences/thoughts. While socialization is an essential component in Senior Kindergarten, your child is also given opportunities to be more independent through activity completion. Self-esteem, independence, and individual strengths are recognized and strongly encouraged throughout the school year.
Meet Kristen Masiel
Senior Kindergarten Teacher
Kristen Masiel, a St. Louis native, began teaching at Rohan Woods School in 2005. After twelve years of teaching Junior Kindergarten, she transitioned to Senior Kindergarten in the fall of 2017. Kristen excels at helping her students explore the world around them in creative and memorable ways, all the while instilling the values of manners and kindness with her students. In her spare time, Kristen enjoys spending time with her family; including, attending theatrical performances at both the Fox Theatre and the Muny Opera. Kristen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and Child Development as well as a Masters degree in Early Childhood Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis from Vanderbilt University.