A healthy mix of learning and play keeps our youngest Lower School students interested and engaged in their first year of full-day learning. For Kindergarten students, this is an exciting time of exploring how they, as individuals, fit into a larger classroom, a small school and a larger community. It will be a year of many firsts. Mathematics skills improve through the study of number, shapes, measurement, addition and subtraction. Science focuses on the five senses, the human body and healthy living. A section on animal homes gets students out of the classroom and onto the nature trails that surround the school as they look for places where different animals live. Learning to read and write take up a portion of every day in both individual and small groups. Library, art, music and physical education become more structured. The social studies units, which include the student’s own family, friends, map skills and seasonal topics, weave into each child’s artwork, writing exercises and the books chosen for the classroom and at the library. Reinforcing themes brings richness and depth to each subject. Students also begin taking on classroom responsibility by introducing personal interests as potential social studies units. Personal attention and great care are given to each student as they build their own love of learning.