The wheels on the best go round and round all through the town. The average kindergarten classroom in District 58 has 21 students, although this number may range. District 58 offers the traditional half-day kindergarten program in the morning. This covers the entire kindergarten curriculum. In the afternoon, the district offers the fee-based, optional kindergarten enrichment and enhancement program, which, true to its name, gives students enriched and exciting learning experiences. While that everyday looks the same, in general, students can expect an experience similar to this. When students arrive, they welcome one another and independently put away their belongings. The class gathers for their daily class meeting. Here, they check the calendar and sometimes discuss the weather or practice stretching. Next is Math Time. Students learn the day's math lesson and break into small guided groups for math, practice, and instruction. The teacher spends time supporting students to explore math concepts and to grow on their understanding of math principles and skills. Next, students engage in guided reading, language arcs, phonics, and phonemic awareness. Students regularly enjoy library time, also called LRC time, as well as art class. Students enjoy learning research skills and demonstrating their creativity. The morning portion closes with science and social studies instruction. Students also incorporate reading, writing, and handwriting practice into this time. When the 11.05 a.m. bell rings, half-day students are safely dismissed. Students who participate in the optional kindergarten enrichment and enhancement program will continue on to shared reading time before heading to healthy lunch and recess. In the afternoon, children enjoy stretching their imaginations with play-based learning. They also participate in center time. Students break into rotating groups or centers where they work on math, writing, reading, fine motor skills, and guided social interactions. Next, a kindergarten teacher favorite is Steam Time. Steam stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math. And this time, provides students with fun, scientific experiences, such as building towers using different types of blocks and testing them to see which block is more durable. The students also participate in a fun read-out loud story. And depending on the day, they may also have music labs. A green sleeve, a green sleeve, a green sleeve. Or physical education class. Before the final bell rings, the class holds an afternoon meeting, cleans up, gathers their belongings, and says they're goodbyes, as their teachers safely dismisses them. Thank you for your interest in District 58's kindergarten programs. If you have any additional questions about the preschool to kindergarten transitions, please contact your home school's principal or visit us online at www.dg58.org.