PreKindergarten and Junior Kindergarten
It All Starts With Nature
Maumee Valley’s PreKindergarten and Junior Kindergarten students spend a portion of their day outside exploring our campus. All PreKindergarten and Junior Kindergarten teachers are certified outdoor educators. As a result, they are skilled at taking curriculum outdoors through all four seasons and encouraging, engaging, and inspiring children through positive outdoor experiences. Outdoor education allows students the time and space to develop their interests, skills, and understandings through practical hands-on experiences.
PK/JK LEARNING IN ACTION
PreKindergarten and Junior Kindergarten students use loose parts and natural materials found on the campus grounds for building, counting, forming letters, and other academic activities that align with curriculum goals. They are able to use their bodies in different sensory experiences and improve their gross motor skills while climbing trees, rolling down hills, and balancing on logs.
At this age, students are emergent writers and expressing themselves through nature drawings and journaling. Fine-motor activities such as weaving vines, picking up bugs with utensils, and creating art in the mud all strengthen their hands and improve their pencil grip. They connect to nature by observing plants and animals during their free exploration time and in different mindfulness practices.
FEATURES OF OUR PK/JK PROGRAM
- Multi-aged classrooms using co-teaching models focused on young learners
- Small group instruction
- 14:2 students-to-adults ratio
- Two classrooms each with a full-time teacher and a full-time teaching assistant
- Forest School-inspired program
- Indoor and outdoor learning environments
- Two snacks each day (one provided and one from home)Hot and cold lunch menu selections
- Part-time and full-time enrollment options
- Access to learning experiences (art, music, physical education, Spanish, and library)
Meet the PreK/JK Team:
Amy Dankert
PreKindergarten and Junior Kindergarten Teacher Assistant
419-381-1313 ext. 246
adankert@mvcds.org
Gabrielle Gurley
PreK-JK Teaching Assistant
ggurley@mvcds.org
Ashley Harman
Part-Time Maintenance & PreK/JK Classroom Floater
aharman@mvcds.org
Alexandra Kania
PreKindergarten and Junior Kindergarten Teacher
akania@mvcds.org
Christine Marker
PreKindergarten and Junior Kindergarten Teacher
419-381-1313 ext. 350
cmarker@mvcds.org