Between 4 and 5 years of age, children are busily building on the skills they’ve explored throughout preschool, and they’re ready to take on new cognitive and social challenges. When children feel secure, respected and supported as they face these new challenges, they’re free to engage in experiences deeply and meaningfully.

Throughout each day, our Pre-K children weave together experiences from a variety of classroom environments, including Mixed Age, Small Group and Summer Bridge experiences, to pave a strong path to Kindergarten.

Mixed Age Group

During Mixed Age time, Pre-Kindergarten kids are presented with the unique opportunity to act as leaders and mentors to our younger Preschool students. Younger children look up to their older Pre-K peers, as older children collaborate with and share their knowledge with our younger students. In this richly rewarding environment, a magical learning space is created for both our Preschool and Pre-K children.

Small Group

In Small Group, Pre-K kids delve into deeper learning experiences based on their own thoughts, questions, and theories about the world. Because investigation is child-driven, students are invested in the process, and their projects become powerful learning tools. Supporting hard skills in language, literacy, math, and science, Small Group activities also increase softer skills like confidence, problem solving, and independence.

Bridge to Kindergarten Summer Program

Through four weeks in July and August, we also offer our Bridge to Kindergarten summer program for graduating Pre-K students, onsite at Greenwood Elementary.

Grounded in the tenets of our Reggio-inspired philosophy, our readiness program extends a warm, enriching experience to help children ease into their new educational environments with joy and confidence. Sweet summer experiences blend playful exploration with thoughtful preparation, and provide a supportive introduction to the elementary school setting in the company of NKS peers.

We support children to build life-long skills, so they learn how to learn. We also emphasize the importance of community, and of being intricately connected to something bigger than oneself … being supported as a unique individual, while also becoming a powerful supporter.

Children graduate from our Pre-K Program prepared to shine in Kindergarten!