Yakima Adventist^® Christian School

We offer a full-day Kindergarten Program here at YACS. 

Kindergarten is a big step in a child’s development, one full of learning, laughter, and tears. We will discover how very different God created each one of us and how we can use our differences to make our classroom a wonderful place to be. 

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

A successful year in Kindergarten begins at home.  A young child needs plenty of sleep every night and a healthy breakfast to start his/her day.  Follow up the skills we are learning at school while at home and read to your child daily.

Washington State law requires that a child be at least five years old prior to September 1 to attend kindergarten.  It is recommended that in harmony with the instruction from the Spirit of Prophecy, supported by findings of medical science and by leading educators, children should not be sent to school at too early an age.  Yakima Adventist Christian School teachers recommend parents wait until students are six years old to begin kindergarten.  See "Am I ready to Begin Kindergarten?" below for more information.

Kindergarten Activities
 

Outreach

Every month we will be involved in outreach. Some of the activities will include sharing food with those in need, Operation Christmas Child, and visiting local nursing/retirement homes and our school neighbors.

Classroom Celebrations

Yes, God has given us lots of reasons to celebrate! As a class we will celebrate birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Valentine’s Day is typically celebrated with outreach rather than with cards and candy for classmates. We try to focus more on sharing God’s love with others. (Halloween and other secular holidays need to be celebrated outside of class.)

Kindergarten Fun

Field Trips:  Kindergarten has some sort of field trip activity every month. It may include visiting a local business, singing at a local retirement home, walking on the Greenway, watching elk being fed, or just plain going somewhere to have fun!

Wacky Wednesday:  The second Wednesday of every month will be a “Wacky Wednesday” - a fun day filled with theme related activities.  Many include a field trip! Some examples include Apple Day, Chef Day, Snow Day, Career Day, and Pet Day.
 
Star of the Day:  Kindergartners take turns being the “Star” of the day.  The “Star” gets to be teacher's special helper and help lead in numerous classroom activities throughout the day.

Person of the Week:  Every child will have the chance to be the person of the week. During the week we will learn more about the child through items brought from home and activities we do in class.  I will send specific information home letting you know what to expect prior to your child’s turn. Some of the fun activities each child gets to take part in on his/her special week include...

• The Mystery Box:  The opportunity to bring home the “Mystery Box.”  At home the child places an object inside of the box and (with his/her family's help) comes up with three clues as to what the item is.  The next day at school the rest of the class gets to try to guess what is inside!
• Felix the Fox:  He/she will get to bring home Felix the Fox (Don't panic! He is stuffed.) and include a personalized entry in “Felix’s Travel Log” that he/she will get to share with the rest of the class.
• Show and Tell:  The person of the week is invited to bring something special from home to show and tell the rest of class about.

Kindergarten Supplies and Information

We are so excited to have your child(ren) as part of the YACS school family! Here are a few important things to know about our classroom:

School Supplies:

You will be billed $60 for school supplies. This fee will help cover the costs of pencils, erasers, glue, markers, scissors, craft supplies, etc.

Backpack:
Your child will need a sturdy backpack to carry items to and from school each day. Please make sure it is large enough to fit your child’s lunchbox along with any LARGE library books and a school folder securely inside.

Snack Time:  
Kindergarten has a time for snack every morning.  We have a Snack Center in the classroom that your child may purchase snacks from OR you may send a healthy item from home each day.  Please be sure the snack is brain friendly - veggies, dried or fresh fruit, crackers, granola bars… etc.

Lunch Time:
We have lunch at school in kindergarten every day - even early release days. Check the calendar for the Hot Lunch schedule. You may pay for Hot Lunch and Pizza Slices daily or purchase tickets from the office.  
Sack Lunch:  Include healthy items that your child would typically eat at home for lunch. Chips, gummy treats, cookies, and food covered in chocolate are better left for home. We do have a microwave for heating food and hot water available here in the classroom. Please send items that have already been prepared and just need a quick warming since we have limited time to eat. 
Hot Lunch:  YACS' hot lunches are always vegetarian, very good, and only cost $5. The menu will be posted on-line and printed in the weekly Home-Word that goes home every Friday.
Pizza Fridays:  On Fridays (except early release days) we have slices of cheese pizza available for $1.75/slice. 

What to have your child wear:

Being a private school we do have a dress code. Please refer to the school handbook for details.

Please have your child wear comfortable, non-marking shoes that stay securely on his/her feet. Kindergartners are very active as you know and we want them to stay safe! 

Please be sure to write your child’s name on his/her backpack, lunch box, jackets . . . everything that regularly comes to school.  It is amazing how many items end up in our lost and found!

If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call.
 

Many Blessings,

Holly Tanner

Am I Ready to Begin Kindergarten?

Washington State Law requires that all children turn five years old before September 1^st in order to start kindergarten that school year. Here at YACS it is our experience that children need to be more than just a certain biological age to succeed in school. Since children grow and mature at hugely different rates based on the character and personality given to them by God, we prefer to look at the individual child not just age.

Following is a basic checklist to help you determine if your child is not only old enough, but truly ready to begin more formal school:

• He copes well away from home and family.
• He can take care of his personal needs (use restroom independently, eat unassisted, manage own clothing).
• He interacts cooperatively with other children (takes turns, shares, can keep to self when necessary).
• He does not require a nap to make it through the day.
• He can complete a task from start to finish without reminding (get dressed, clean up, color a picture).
• He can write his name – maybe not perfectly, but consistently and without help.
• He has the fine motor skills required each day in the classroom.
• He can sit still and attentively listen to a story for 15+ minutes at a time.
• He shows interest in learning academics skills (consistently identifies most letter names and sounds, recognizes numbers 0-10, pretends to read, easily counts to twenty).

If your child struggles in any of these areas, it may be in your child’s best interest to wait another year before beginning school. It is our goal to make your child’s kindergarten year the best one possible!