Preschool

Kendellhurst curriculum is developed from two main sources. First, our own philosophy on childcare and brain development of young children is essential to our day-to-day teaching. Second, we keep in mind the Ministry of Education's kindergarten outcomes, since the majority of young children go on to public education. After much research, interpretation and experience in teaching, Kendellhurst philosophy is developed from various great minds. Psychologists such as Carl Rogers and Carl Jung have become role models to us in their approaches to caring for the human mind. Child psychologist Jean Piaget who set bench marks on the stages of childhood development is influential in our understanding of who your child is and where he/she is going in terms of personality development. Literary psycho-analysts Bruno Bettelheim and Clarissa Pinkola Estes have given us a deeper and more meaningful awareness of the art and significance of storytelling and its relationship to intelligence.

We see your child as a precious resource waiting to be discovered every day he/she enters our school. Kendellhurst owners and staff simply want to communicate to you, the parent, that our curriculum is a well thought out plan with a focus on your child's mind and spirit.

Language Arts

Kendellhurst takes a holistic approach to the acquisition of language. From the oral art of storytelling to the formal use of cahiers for writing, we treat language as an on-going part of your child's day. Teachers use active listening to encourage children to develop their oral skills in subjects that uniquely interest them.

Learning to sing songs, listening to stories with question and answer periods, and discussing themes and life events in circle time are all a part of our daily curriculum. Kendellhurst also prepares your child for formal schooling by encouraging the development of fine motor writing skills. Rudimentary drawing and colouring are the important first steps in acquiring penmanship. This is followed by the stage of creating lines and shapes, and thus forming first letters/words in our Senior Classroom. Then, formal printing skills are primarily focused on in the Kindergarten Class.

Arithmetic

Sequential understanding of the world is a part of day-to-day existence. As a result, children need to understand their 1, 2, 3s as early as possible. Kendellhurst works on the quantitative understanding of numbers versus simple rote memory. At the beginnings of brain "wiring", children should relate to numbers with a clear understanding of value, not just plain rote memory.

Though rote memory becomes more significant as young minds grow older, at the earlier stages of development, holistic comprehension is much better. Sometimes we see the smart child who can prattle off one to twenty at two years old as a wonder, but does that child know the quantitative value of one to twenty is the question the proud parent must ask him/herself. The Kendellhurst approach to learning is about nurturing the intelligent, spirited child.

Social Studies

This area of programming encompasses many subjects. From history and geography to community and family, your child will learn about the world beyond his/her ego. Local field trips will complement curriculum and show children new and different parts of life. Kendellhurst educators expose young minds to a variety of learning materials that communicate the macro and microcosm of the world. For example, the important days in history, how the multicultural setting of Canada relates to the world, and the variety of family dynamics are just a few subjects that our curriculum covers. Here, the focus is on respecting the similarities and differences of people and, as mentioned earlier, seeing the world beyond one's ego.

Music

Music elevates the human soul to a cognitive and sensory level that heightens our understanding of the world. Choosing the appropriate melodies to achieve this goal is important in early childhood development.

In this area of study, on-going exposure to classical and jazz has proven to myelinate the synaptic functioning of the human brain.

Simply put, the more exposure to complex melodies, the more intelligent the child. Throughout our classrooms, you will hear the tunes of Vivaldi, Mozart, Bach, Fitzgerald, Armstrong, etc. becoming a part of your child's inner workings. Of course, we cannot forget our friend Mother Goose and her entourage of childhood icons. We all need songs to shake, boogie, laugh and sing to, and let loose a little energy. Staff encourage children to enjoy the freedom of movement and individual vocal talents! As well, Kendellhurst offers a basic percussion program. Here, children learn about the individual sounds of simple instruments. How instruments work separately and together is important in understanding and hopefully choosing a favourite sound to pursue throughout one's life.

Arts and Crafts

Learning themes are set out for the entire year. All art and craft projects relate back to the educational theme in a fun, creative/exploratory and very interesting and unique way! Children enjoy getting sticky and messy in this area of our programming. Don't worry Mums and Dads, we have art smocks to help protect clothing and save the environment from bleach and other cleaning elements you may engage in!

Storytelling

We value considerably the art of storytelling. In addition to our classroom book nooks, each preschool is equipped with its own library. Reading circles are a common sight in all classrooms. Our Streetsville campus happens to be located a hop, skip and jump away from the Streetsville Public Library!

Social Communications

Becoming a part of the social world can be a daunting and somewhat awesome task for little ones. Everyday we focus on proper mannerisms and appropriate behaviour in a positive and friendly way. It is critical for children to learn that becoming a social being is hard work that happens every day.

Life is about negotiating with other people. Speaking to children in an authoritative versus authoritarian manner allows them to see that a respectful environment engenders positive interactions. The focus here is on teaching young children, at the earliest stages of development, how to reason and use good judgment.

Additionally, our weekly curriculum planners include a virtue -of-the week to focus on instilling democratic and altruistic traits in our children at Kendellhurst Academy. In summary, these virtues are meant to foster a peaceful, equitable and socially responsible way of being.

Physical Education

Developing your child's gross motor skills will create a healthy and happy individual. Today, we tend to allow children to become lethargic in their day-to-day functioning. Outdoor play is important in developing a healthy lifestyle. Kendellhurst offers outdoor play experiences that focus on hand-eye coordination, balance, spatial understanding/ depth perception, etc., and let's not forget fun! Games and activities are a part of our outdoor programming. Of course, children can choose simply to play in the sand, ride a trike, or scoot through the climber. After all, learning through this type of play experience is a child's introduction to understanding basic physics!

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy parenting day to read this material. As a parent, I sense and recognize the turmoil one feels when choosing the right preparatory school for your child. It is often a long and arduous journey sometimes filled with self-doubt and conflict.

Unfortunately, the milieu of our time places us in the situation of going outside the family unit for child care. I understand how hard this choice is for you, the parent. Feel free to call our school and speak to staff about questions you may have regarding any aspect of school life, or your particular child's day.

It is important for me to know that you are comfortable and confident with your choice in early schooling for your child. Please keep in mind, when you leave your child at Kendellhurst, the door does not close.

Signature Programs

Signature French

Kendellhurst Academy offers a strong French language program based on student and activity based learning opportunities. Our French curriculum is designed to stimulate an interest and desire to acquire French language. Read more...