Junior Kindergarten
Compassion and empathy, kindness and cooperation, creativity and collaboration, independence and inclusion - our Riviera Ridge Junior Kindergarten students are empowered to strengthen and develop important life skills and personal character.
Our students begin to grow in self-confidence, advocacy skills, and academic curiosity from day one.
A Day in the Life
JK three and four-year-old students spend their days immersed in a well-balanced combination of student-centered learning and academics, mixed with open-ended discovery and playtime. Our passionate and nurturing teachers ensure that students’ social-emotional and academic needs are tended to thoughtfully and consistently.
Thematic units of study, high-interest topics, and weekly letter studies keep students engaged during whole class and small group time. Students also receive opportunities for music, art, garden time, technology, physical education, and much more. Spanish instruction is also integrated into the curriculum on a daily basis.
The JK day is rounded out with nutrition breaks, recess, lunch, and regular nap/rest time. Students stay energized through our inclusion of plenty of outdoor play on our beautiful mountain view campus.
Curriculum Overview
The Riviera Ridge two-year “JK” program consists of a full day of learning and growing for both JK-3 and JK-4 in a heterogeneous mixed-age grouping. The benefits of a mixed-age grouping creates a beneficial environment of cooperation as older students gain independence and leadership skills and younger students look to older students as helpful models to learn from. In this grouping students compromise and collaborate, plan and negotiate, and work in a group and by themselves, meeting the needs of a wide range of competencies.
Using a hands-on approach, students learn by doing within each thematic unit in a safe and caring environment. Our progressive academic curriculum is purposefully integrated with social-emotional development through play, discovery, inquiry, literature, physical education, performing and visual arts, and technology.
Creative Curriculum at “The Ridge”
Young children learn best by doing through active exploration of their environment. The goal is to encourage inquisitive and enthusiastic learners by actively exploring their environment. Learning integrates literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts and technology throughout the day and within each unit of study. From studying trees to baking bread, to creating their own clothing, JK students are exposed to a wide variety of hands-on learning experiences to open their minds and build their skills as learners.
Additional Curriculum-Areas of Interest
- Kaleidoscope
- Art, Music, and Dramatic Play
- Library Time & Writing Center
- Introductory Spanish
- Science Discovery & Technology
- Large Motor Area & Outdoor Exploration
