INTRODUCTION
Kindergarten is an exciting and important year for your child in terms of continuing to build the strong foundation important for later years. Our kindergarten teachers and staff are committed to providing productive and successful kindergarten experiences for your child.

Carrollwood Day School kindergarten is the final stage of early childhood education at our lower campus. The curriculum is based on the same philosophy and goals of developmentally appropriate methods of learning.

CDS kindergarten is a three-quarter day program, with classes from 8:30 - 2:00 each day. Before and after-school programs are available starting at 7:00 am and ending at 6:00 pm Tuition includes all supplies and programs with the exception of personal supplies, money for field trips and the cost of school uniforms.

Each kindergarten class is made up of 18 students. Each class is staffed by a teacher and a resource assistant and the curriculum is identical in both classes.
Return to top of page

ADMISSIONS
Children who are current CDS students have been assessed during the year and are eligible for kindergarten placement unless parents have been previously notified.

Families who are new to CDS apply by returning a completed application accompanied by a $50.00 application fee. The next step in the admissions process is to schedule children for a visit to the school. This includes an interview with the principal. The interview consists of a brief conversation, a tour of the school with their parents, and a visit to a kindergarten classroom. The Gesell Maturation Assessment is administered.

After the student and parent leave, the test is scored and the information gathered during the interview is considered. The parents are notified by the principal if CDS is able to accept their child.

Carrollwood Day School complies with the State of Florida guidelines that a kindergarten student must be five years old on or before September 1 of the calendar year. Applications who are appropriate in age and development for kindergarten will be accepted on the basis of the following priority:
First Priority
Students who are enrolled at CDS preschool and who have a sibling at CDS elementary level.
Second Priority
Students currently enrolled in CDS preschool.
Third Priority
Students not enrolled in CDS preschool who have a sibling attending CDS elementary level.
Fourth Priority
Students not currently enrolled at CDS preschool, and do not have a sibling in the school.
This policy is based on the need for a fair and equitable system when applications exceed the limit of enrollment. It is difficult to turn away eligible students. The school, however, has a first commitment to families participating in the school community. We warmly welcome new students as space is available.

CURRICULUM
Children do not fit into a mold intellectually and so curriculum objectives are designed to meet individual needs. Based on our knowledge of the child as a whole learner, skills and concepts in our curriculum are not "taught" in isolation but rather integrated into meaningful activities.
Return to top of page

LANGUAGE ARTS
Children acquire knowledge of language through listening and speaking. Much of the growth in children's language will result from contact with varied language in their reading and listening experiences. Further growth will occur as children use language in different situations, both oral and written. Children develop language because they need to describe their world and communicate with those around them.

Speaking and Listening
Children are given daily opportunities to appreciate literature and develop appropriate traditional comprehension skills. Children begin to internalize their experiences with literature and relate personal experiences and life knowledge to this. Rhyme and rhythm develop with daily activaties using poems, songs, and chants. Children learn to listen for information, assimilate this data and develop new concepts. Children develop the ability to relay information accurately and in proper sequence. They respect appropriate social language and enjoy group discussions that extend thinking. Use of proper grammar and syntax grows as a result of exposure to rich language as the child's vocabulary begins to reflect his/her expanding world.

Reading and Writing
The child's ability to decode print strengthens as he/she acquires appropriate phonics skills, sight vocabulary and the ability to use pictures and context clues. Word banks, letter activaties, charts, big books and posters give children the opportunities to use these emerging word recognition skills. Children write daily in their journals which gives them an important opportunity to apply letter knowledge and express their thoughts. Communication skills grow quickly as their "message" appears in printed form and is reread by them.

MATHEMATICS
The goal of the mathematics program in kindergarten is to create an environment in which children can develop ways to think mathematically and begin to solve problems. It affords many opportunities to visualize information and organize it in an ordered, sequential manner appropriate to their level of development. Emphasis is on the learning process not the quickness of the answer. Teachers focus on the way a child is thinking rather than a right or wrong answer. Activities are developed that provide concrete opportunities to sort, create patterns, classify, sequence, and invent. The study of numerals allows the children to identify the properties of numbers and the uses of numbers. The concepts of time, measurement and money are extended as the children apply their current knowledge to daily life experiences.
Return to top of page

SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES
The science and social studies program begins with the child's need to have a knowledge of the world in which he/she lives. The teacher's role is to provide a framework of experiences which facilitates the students' investigation. One of the objectives for science is to gain an awareness of the concepts of change and interrelatedness, and to understand more about our physical world. One of the special science projects each year is the planting and harvesting of our own kindergarten garden. Off campus field trips are planned to support units of social studies and provide opportunities to see things "first hand."

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
The physical education program is designed to be energetic and funfilled. It encourages participation and is built on opportunities for creative movement, physical challenges and activities involving cooperative skills. Children learn basic movement skills, fitness and health concepts and the importance of moving efficiently and being physically fit.

FINE ARTS
Music
Music education provides experiences in rhythm, movement and vocal expression.
Art
Art provides a program that explores color, exposes the child to various media and develops an awareness of space and form.
Drama and Creative Movement
Drama and Creative Movement provide the kindergarten students opportunities to express themselves through pantomime, short plays, body movement and spontaneous acting. These activities provide pleasure to the child as well and help develop self-confidence.