Welcome to Kindergarten! Five-year-old Kindergarten at North Lake School is full of wonderful experiences and explorations. Every day is filled with excitement and a robust energy for learning. We Kindergarten teachers are thrilled to be working with your child and being part of their first steps toward life-long learning and social participation.
Our curriculum and daily subjects are listed below. The Class Dojo is posted on regularly by the teacher and is also a great resource for current happenings in 5K!
Our Reading Program: HMH Into Reading
We use a program called HMH Into Reading to help your child grow as a reader and writer. This curriculum is designed to build strong reading skills in fun and engaging ways! Each week, we explore exciting stories, new vocabulary, and important lessons about letters, sounds, and words.
Students learn through songs, games, hands-on activities, and read-alouds. They practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing every day. The program also supports social-emotional learning and encourages a love for books.
Most importantly, Into Reading meets your child where they are and helps them grow at their own pace. We’re excited to partner with you to build strong, confident readers!
Sami Giesie- "Teaching a love for reading in Kindergarten is so rewarding! Increasing their self confidence and independence while reading goes hand in hand with confident beginning writers. I love watching students learn new skills and put them to use in all subject areas at school."
Our Writing Program: Handwriting Without Tears
In Kindergarten, we use a program called Handwriting Without Tears to help children learn to write letters and numbers the fun and easy way! This program uses music, movement, hands-on tools, and simple language to teach proper letter formation and pencil grip.
Students learn to build letters using wood pieces, trace with their fingers, and write on paper step-by-step. We focus on making writing comfortable and fun—without the tears! It’s designed just right for little hands and helps children feel confident and successful as they begin their writing journey.
With Handwriting Without Tears, we’re helping students develop strong fine motor skills and a love for writing from the very start!
Our Math Program: Math Expressions
We use a program called Math Expressions by Heinemann to help your child build strong math skills through hands-on learning and problem solving. In Kindergarten, students explore numbers, shapes, patterns, and basic addition and subtraction using tools like counters, drawings, and math games.
This program encourages children to think like mathematicians—explaining their thinking, trying different strategies, and learning by doing. It’s a blend of traditional math and creative problem solving that supports all kinds of learners.
With Math Expressions, students grow in confidence, build a deep understanding of math concepts, and most importantly—have fun with math every day!
Kayla Orendorff - "I love how math is the magical key that unlocks a world of possibilities for our little learners! In kindergarten, math isn't always just about numbers; but it's also about building a strong foundation for problem-solving and critical thinking."
Science, Social Studies and Health
In our STEAM units children learn about structures and functions of buildings and parts of our bodies. They also learn about themselves and the world around them. We also expose children to informational text in our themes such as dinosaurs, oceans, plants, insects, frogs and chickens, Presidents, and holidays around the world. Most of our Science and Social Studies is taught through our weekly themes.
Homework
To help the students master their new skills learned at school, there will be a “homework” packet sent home at the beginning of the week. The pack will only have a few pages which focus on new skills. This pack will be due back by the end of the week (mostly Fridays with those occasional Thursdays).
Specials
Our special classes are Art, Music, Library, Guidance, and Physical Education/Health. Students should leave a pair of gym shoes in their locker. Your child will have Library once a week. Children may not check out new books until the old ones are returned.
Snack and Lunch
Snack time is in the morning before our morning recess. Please pack a healthy snack for your child each day. Some examples of healthy snacks are fruit, vegetables, pretzels, granola bars, fruit snacks, yogurt, pudding, etc. Remember that nothing containing peanuts or tree nuts is allowed in the classrooms due to severe allergies within the building. Check the labels carefully. Please do not send chips, cookies or candy. The children are also given the option to have milk at this time.
Some children think their snack is their lunch or eat their lunch at snack time. PLEASE help your child by letting them help you pack their snack, or by placing their snack in a different bag or area of their backpack. Also, please read the lunch menu and discuss whether they are having hot or cold lunch each day. If they are having hot lunch, please discuss which entrée they should choose.
Quiet Time
Our Quiet Time is in the second part of the day in the afternoon. The children lay on their towels and listen to relaxing music and rest their brain. Some children rest while others nap. This time is incorporated into the day at the beginning of the year and by the end of the year we have transitioned out of laying down and using it as quiet work time.
The Common Core Standards — Many states in the U.S. have already adopted the Common Core standards. Visit this site to learn more about what they are and why they are being implemented in so many states.