Kindergarten
is more than just learning the foundation of reading, writing, and
arithmetic. Kindergarten is also about further developing one’s
character — their personality, their moral qualities, and their
temperament.
“Students are taught starting out in kindergarten:
trustworthiness, respect, caring, responsibility, fairness, and
citizenship,” said LaKynn McDonald, a kindergarten teacher at Scottsburg
Elementary School.
At Scott County School District 2, students
are taught six pillars from the nationally-recognized Character Counts
program. The first pillar, trustworthiness, teaches students to be
honest, be reliable, be courageous, be loyal, and to build a good
reputation. The second pillar, respect, teaches children to treat others
with respect, treat others as they would want to be treated, the
differences of others, use good manners, avoid bad language, be
considerate of the feelings of others, not to threaten, hit or hurt
others, and to deal with conflict peacefully.
“Character
development also ties into the social interactions that take place in
kindergarten,” McDonald said. “Starting in kindergarten, and continuing
throughout their school careers, students are taught to be good friends,
and to be caring and considerate toward one another.”
Another
pillar, responsibility, teaches students to do what they are supposed to
do, to plan ahead, to be diligent, to persevere, to do their best, to
use self-control, to be self-disciplined, to think before acting, to be
accountable, and to set a good example for others. For the fairness
pillar, students learn to play by the rules, take turns, to share, to be
open-minded, to listen to others, to not take advantage of others, not
to blame carelessly, and to treat others fairly.
“In kindergarten,
as mentioned before, ample amounts of time are also spent on character
education and making sure that children are socially and emotionally
thriving,” McDonald said.
“The kindergarten classroom allows for
students to collaborate and learn from their peers,” said Robin Burns, a
kindergarten teacher at Johnson Elementary School. “They learn to take
turns speaking and to share supplies. Recess allows students to learn
how to share and play with others their age. It also provides the
opportunity for students to become problem solvers by presenting
opportunities for them to resolve conflicts on their own.”
At
Vienna-Finley Elementary School, kindergarten students have monthly
visits with the school counselor, Holly Asdell, who teaches the students
about character traits.
“We start each year with a series of
units all about them: Welcome to Kindergarten, All About Me, My Family,
My Friends, and My Community,” said Brittany Banister, a kindergarten
teacher at VFES. “Helping even the youngest of students see that they
are part of a larger entity helps build character without being boring.”
By
enrolling your child in kindergarten, students not only grow in
intelligence, they grow as individuals and into people of substance. The
backdrop of kindergarten coupled with a safe learning environment that
is guided by caring and knowledgeable teachers will help children become
well-rounded individuals and learning how to thrive in the world around
them and beyond.
“Kindergarten is a very magical experience. My
kindergarten classroom is much like a family. Having the strong
foundation of a wonderful kindergarten experience really sets the stage
for having a love of learning and coming to school,” Banister said.
At
Scott County School District 2, we want to help you through the process
— from answering all your questions, to how to go through the
registration process, to all the questions along the way during the
first year of kindergarten.
For more information on registering your child at Scott 2, visit our Kindergarten Registration page.