Weclome to Brophy Kindergarten!

We are excited to be working with you and your child during this exciting year of learning and discovery!

In our Kindergartens, we want students to feel comfortable with themselves and the others in the classroom. Simple elements of trust, security, listening, respect, and cooperation will go a long way later in developing their ability to focus and learn effectively.

Social Skills are taught informally throughout the day, but are also taught as a part of a formal curriculum component called:

The Open Circle Program                                      
It's content focus areas include:
Social Competency
Diversity & Similarities
Problem Solving
Positive Qualities:
Responsibility, honesty, etc.

 The Kindergarten curriculum is mainly taught within the context of daily routines and activities and include a wide variety of individual and group learning activities, as well as time for free choice and discovery. This enables children to develop strategies and utilize their natural strengths in a variety of learning situations.

Below, we give you a glimpse of our basic programs and curriculum units. For more detailed descriptions of the each of the Kindergarten Curriculum areas, please log onto the Framingham Public School Home Site. It’s very educational.

Math
Brophy Kindergartners participate in the district-wide Think-Math! program

Think-Math Focuses on national & state standards as it provides fun activities that develop conceptual
understanding & problem-solving and skill practice.

Hands on Science: 
The 5 Senses
Exploring the Schoolyard
Living/ Non-living(& worms!)
Push & Pull- forces & simple machines

 Our Social Studies Units include: Who? Important people in our lives- family, school, community, country, world, & history
When? How things change over time, and some basic time telling.
Where? Our physical space in the world. Everything from “location words” (eg. right, left, above, below), to simple maps our global address- street, town, city, state, country ( other countries), continent, earth, & solar system

A Typical School Day:
Each day starts with a regular morning routine which includes some “Table Work” with independent skill practice and/or math manipulatives at the group tables.

Once everyone has arrived and settled in, we come together as a whole group for our “morning meeting” which includes calendar, school day count, interactive poems or songs, and the shared reading preview of the day through our “morning message”.

In addition, each day generally includes:

• Progressing math and literacy curriculum components through fun and meaningful discussions, games, and activities.
• Time to work in smaller groups that focus on literacy and math skills, in which teachers can work more closely with smaller groups of students at more differentiated levels.
• A break for snack and some free exploration & playtime.
• A special (art, music, gym, library or computer lab).
• A mid-day lunch and recess, followed by a relaxing read-aloud and some rest-time.
• The second part of the afternoon provides a chance for some additional activities- often science, social studies and/or our Open Circle (Social Skills) curriculum, some additional recess time to stretch their bodies and re-energize.

School Supplies and Classroom Needs
Pencils, crayons, paper, etc. are provided by the school & shared by the children so there is no need to purchase any to send in. However, there are several items that we go through quickly and will need throughout the year, such as:

• Antibacterial wipes
• Plastic storage bags (gallon & snack sized)
• Bags/boxes of snacks (pretzels, saltines, etc)

Climb aboard for learning, fun & friends at Brophy School