Kindergarten
BCD’s Kindergarten program stands apart for its breadth of offerings and student support. Students are known and nurtured everyday by a faculty of many including their classroom teachers, their teachers in world language, science, innovation, music, art, physical education, and library, as well as, school counselors, Learning Center specialists, the Head of Elementary, and our Head of School.
Our Academics
Class Size - We believe small class sizes allow our teachers to truly see, know, and love each student. Our Board of Trustees mandates that sizes not exceed 18 in the Elementary School. Each classroom has a lead teacher and a shared assistant (if class sizes reach 17 or 18, an full-assistant will be assigned).
Extensive Literacy Support- BCD believes that early intervention and skilled support for students is the key to lifelong academic success. Our literacy trained Learning Center faculty provide support in Kindergarten four days a week.
Math program - BCD teaches math using Eureka Math². Eureka Math² is a revolutionary math program designed to ensure that students move beyond rote memorization to build enduring math knowledge.
Exploratory Learning and Academic Choice - Kindergarten students develop independence and self-advocacy skills through scaffolded problem solving and age appropriate choices during 'exploratory learning time.
Support - Our School Counselor works with classroom teachers to ensure the implementation of character development and inclusion activities and lessons. The School Counselor is also available for individual student consultation.
Joy - We never forget that learning should be joyful. Through thoughtful lesson planning and interdisciplinary curriculum, students are engaged in meaningful ways every day.
Recess 3x Day
We understand that physical activity and free-form play are both necessary as well as constructive. Both children's brains and bodies benefit from regular movement.
Our Approach
BCD employs the Responsive Classroom methodology in all elementary classrooms.
Responsive Classroom (RC) is an evidence-based approach to teaching that focuses on the strong link between academic success and social-emotional learning. All BCD Elementary teachers are trained in RC and apply the methods universally throughout our school. This helps students better anticipate and navigate their days.
Shared Practices of the Responsive Classroom Program:
- Interactive Modeling—An explicit practice for teaching procedures and routines (such as those for entering and exiting the room) as well as academic and social skills (such as engaging with the text or giving and accepting feedback).
- Teacher Language—The intentional use of language to enable students to engage in their learning and develop the academic, social, and emotional skills they need to be successful in and out of school.
- Logical Consequences—A non-punitive response to misbehavior that allows teachers to set clear limits and students to fix and learn from their mistakes while maintaining their dignity.
- Interactive Learning Structures—Purposeful activities that give students opportunities to engage with content in active (hands-on) and interactive (social) ways.
Daily Features of the Responsive Classroom Program:
- Morning Meeting—Everyone morning students gather in a circle at the beginning of the school day and proceed through four sequential components: greeting, sharing, group activity, and morning message.
- Establishing Rules—Teacher and students work together to name individual goals for the year and establish rules that will help everyone reach those goals.
- Energizers—Short, playful, whole-group activities that are used as breaks in lessons.
- Quiet Time—A brief, purposeful and relaxed time of transition that takes place after lunch and recess, before the rest of the school day continues.
- Closing Circle—A quick gathering at the end of the day promotes reflection and celebration through participation in a brief activity.
What convinced me to move our daughter to BCD in Kindergarten was a visit I made to the Kindergarten classroom during what they call Kinder flooding. The children are grouped in fours and have a learning specialist or teacher working with the small groups on their phonetics. I witnessed the children learning the basics of reading and enjoying the process. With the 4:1 ratio, and the time it takes a child to write or work through each task, it was almost a 1:1 interaction. This is done daily and the progress these children make is pretty impressive." - Current Parent
Our Enrichment Programming
Specials Classes are visited by Kindergarten students based on a 6-day rotation cycle.
Science Lab (2x per rotation)
Science Lab (2x per rotation)
Kindergarten students will have regular scheduled time in the Science Lab each week. They will conduct hands-on experiments and learn the basic of inquiry-based science.
Innovation Lab (2x per rotation)
Kindergarten students will have regular scheduled time in the Innovation Lab each week. They will develop their computer based skills and explore other technologies.
Physical Education (2x per rotation)
Physical Education (2x per rotation)
Instruction in Physical Education helps to keep children healthy and balanced.
Music and Performing Arts (2x per rotation)
Kindergarten students have regular scheduled time for musical instruction. Additionally, students will participate in both the annual grade level stage performance and the K-2nd Musical.
Assembly (~1x week)
Kindergarten students attend the ~weekly all-school assembly.
Assembly (~1x week)
Kindergarten students attend the ~weekly all-school assembly.
Art (2x per rotation)
Kindergarten students will have regular scheduled time for art instruction.
World Language (2x per rotation)
Kindergarten students have instruction in both French and Spanish on a semester-long basis.
Library (1x per rotation)
Kindergarten students visit the Library weekly to stimulate their interest in books and reading and to support cross-curricular thinking.
Library (1x per rotation)
Kindergarten students visit the Library weekly to stimulate their interest in books and reading and to support cross-curricular thinking.
Our Teachers
Stephanie Simkins
Stephanie Simkins has been teaching at BCD for 17 years. Stephanie started in our Preschool program and brings the insight of preschool curriculum and Kindergarten readiness. Prior to joining BCD, she spent 5 years teaching preschool through 2nd grade in the Boulder area. Stephanie is a native of Boulder, CO and a graduate of the University of Colorado holding a Bachelor's degree as well as a Master's degree in Educational Psychology.
Kristen Nelson
Kristen Nelson has been teaching at BCD for 16 years. Kristen started in the preschool, moved to first grade and has now landed in Kindergarten. Her experience at BCD allows for insight into the preschool curriculum and Kindergarten readiness as well as an understanding of what lies ahead for students after Kindergarten. She is a graduate of Luther College and holds a masters degree in Reading from Regis University.
Free Guide to Choosing a Kindergarten
Today, more than ever, parents carefully examine their many choices for Kindergarten open enroll or neighborhood, public or private, full day or part day, morning or afternoon, academic or play-based…So what should a parent look for in a Kindergarten program?
