Current Students - Kindergarten

What We're Working On:
(As reported in the last issue of the Baraga Buzz.)

Check back here during the school year to see what the kids are working on!

Class Curriculum:

Religion - The kindergarten religion curriculum is designed to open our children to God’s love
through discovery of the many good things God has placed in their world, which lead them to
an awareness of God’s presence in their everyday lives. They reflect on God’s goodness in
creation, in the wonder of their own unique selves and in the love of the people around them.
The children experience being brothers and sisters in God’s family. In kindergarten, we learn
how to be kind (respecting ourselves and others), careful (protecting ourselves and being safe)
and caring (taking care of our belongings and school environment). The children attend Mass
twice weekly in the school chapel.

Reading - The kindergarten program seeks to instill a love of learning and desire to read. It is
designed to give our children experiences in good literature and the tools to aid them in
becoming successful, independent readers.

Reading concepts include:

Concepts of print:
- Directionality - moving left to right and top to bottom on a page
- One-to-one matching using fingers to point to words as we read
- Punctuation marks “voice marks” – using our voices to express meaning
Upper and lowercase letter recognition
Top-to-bottom letter formation in writing
Use of reading strategies to decode (read) words and writing strategies to encode (spell)
words:
- Alliteration (groups of words that begin with the same sound)
- Rhyming
- Letter/Sound association
- Contextual clues
- Visual clues

The children also meet weekly with our third grade “reading buddies.” They read to us and
we read to them.

Math - Kindergartners are active, inquisitive and eager to learn with short attention spans
and boundless energy. The math program helps children to flourish in an active
environment, learning best through hands-on exploration using a variety of manipulatives.
Math concepts include: Rote counting 0-100, number recognition 0-30, number quantity,
comparing numbers, simple addition and subtraction, patterning – all done using
manipulatives.

Technology - Kindergartners attend computer classes weekly and have access to
computers within the classroom.

Physical Development / Health Education - Kindergartners attend physical education
classes twice weekly, as well as daily classroom activities that develop large and small
muscle groups through games, exercises and rhythm. The Michigan Model
Comprehensive Health Program is experienced throughout the year.

Music - The children attend a weekly music class as part of our school curriculum. They
also experience rhythms and songs daily in the classroom.

Social Studies - The children learn about themselves and how they relate to the world
around them. Units of study include:
- Myself and others – how we relate to each other
- Exploring citizenship – how rules provide for order and safety
- Geography – places on earth and how to locate them
- Families & Culture – learning about similarities and differences in all families
- Time & Change – comparing families past and present
- Economics – identifying jobs that provide goods and services - interdependence

Science - The science program endeavors to build a solid foundation of basic science
concepts. The relationship between science content and our children’s daily life is
emphasized. Units of study include:
- All about me
- Nutrition
- Weather
- Exploring earth
- Exploring space
- Using energy
- Plant growth
- Animals
- Homes for Living Things (ecology)

Community Involvement – The students become involved in their community through
several field trips (Knaebe’s Apple Farm, Cheboygan Animal Medical Clinic and Yogi Bear
Campground) and also through interactions with guest speakers (Firefighters, Police
Officers, Nurses, Dental Assistants). The kindergarten children are also included in
schoolwide field trips and guest speakers' presentations, as appropriate, which are
provided by the school.