Developing Lifelong, Christlike learners
Kindergarten is an important milestone for you and your child. As a parent, you want your child to experience the right pace of learning in a creative environment that reinforces the values and lessons you are teaching at home. It’s also important to you that your child is well known by their teacher and given the individualized attention they need to thrive — academically, socially, and emotionally.
At Wesleyan Christian Academy, your kindergartner will find a Christ-centered education that supports and encourages them as they begin their academic journey. Below you will find:
Is your child ready for kindergarten?
Transitional Kindergarten vs. Kindergarten
Understanding the Best Program for Your Child
Knowing your child’s strengths and gaps and what program is going to best nurture their natural curiosity is important as they step into their first structured classroom experience. You want them to have the right amount of challenge so they can grow without feeling overwhelmed.
At Wesleyan, we’ve designed our transitional kindergarten and kindergarten programs to help each child build confidence in their abilities and develop a love for learning. To do this, we place children in appropriate classes based on their developmental age and birthdate.
Determining your child’s developmental age
The Gesell Developmental Observation is one way we learn where each child is developmentally. During this interactive, 30-minute observation, your child will have the opportunity to draw pictures, answer teacher questions about what they enjoy, and participate in various math and language activities. The results of this assessment will provide the developmental age of your child, which in turn will allow our Admissions Committee to make a transitional kindergarten or kindergarten placement. When we understand how your child learns best, we can provide the developmentally-appropriate environment they need to create a solid academic foundation and foster their God-given abilities.
Although there is no specific way to prepare for the Gesell Observation, we encourage parents to make sure their child has enough rest the night before, eats a healthy breakfast, and feels relaxed on the day of the assessment. After the observation is complete, our trained kindergarten teachers will assess their findings and make a recommended placement of transitional kindergarten or kindergarten. If a child begins Wesleyan in transitional kindergarten, they will complete a full school year in this program and progress to kindergarten after that. However, some children will begin at Wesleyan in kindergarten, bypassing transitional kindergarten. If a child begins Wesleyan in kindergarten, they will keep that placement for a full year and then progress to first grade if they are ready.
Transitional Kindergarten
Developmentally younger five-year-olds
This program is built for children who might need more time and guidance as they adjust to a more structured classroom environment and school schedule. Wesleyan’s transitional kindergarten classroom includes 15 to 17 students with one full-time lead teacher and one full-time teaching assistant.
Your transitional kindergartener will begin the school year with less time on task to accommodate their wiggles, and more group work and center work to strengthen their communication and fine motor skills. Phonemic awareness will also help your child begin their reading journey, and although our transitional kindergarteners are not required to be reading by the end of the TK year, generally about two-thirds of the class will be.
Kindergarten
Developmentally older five-year-olds and younger six-year-olds
For children who are ready for a faster academic pace and a more structured learning environment, Wesleyan’s kindergarten program is a perfect fit. Our kindergarten classes average 19-20 students with one full-time teacher and one part-time teacher who assists throughout the instructional day.
Your kindergartener will begin the school year with a quick review of PreK or TK concepts while allowing for longer periods of focus and more independent work. Our kindergarten teachers move at a more rapid pace in subjects like English and math because our kindergarteners are developmentally older in age and able to concentrate for longer periods of time. We want to see our kindergarteners reading on their own by Christmas so we can assign reading materials in the spring based on their reading level.
A learning environment that cultivates creativity, academic growth, and Christlike character.
Whether your child begins at Wesleyan Christian Academy in transitional kindergarten or kindergarten, we provide the environment and support they need to confidently prepare for elementary school. This is accomplished through:
MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS
Your child will not only develop friendships with classmates from like-minded families, but also be mentored by older elementary, middle, and high school students. Wesleyan mentors serve as reading buddies, summer camp counselors, academic tutors, and instructional athletic league coaches.
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION
Our teachers incorporate developmentally appropriate technology into the classroom environment to enhance lessons and stimulate the learning experience, all while preserving the teacher-to-student and student-to-student relationship. Your child will become familiar with SmartBoards, Voice Projection Systems, iPads, Chromebooks, and educational software programs and games.
ACTIVE, HANDS-ON LEARNING
Kindergarten students are given various materials to manipulate, explore, and learn new concepts, which also helps with developing their fine and gross motor skills. To foster social, emotional, and leadership abilities, your child will actively serve in classroom leadership roles throughout the school year.
A BIBLICAL FOUNDATION
From weekly chapels to daily integration of biblical principles into every subject, your child will be building a solid spiritual foundation. Our goal is to have the Word of Christ dwell in each child richly now and throughout their life journey (Colossians 3:16).
A SAFE ENVIRONMENT
We believe children learn best when they feel known, cared for, and safe. When your child comes to school, they are entering a secured campus. We take safety very seriously. All of our faculty, staff, and volunteers have been screened with appropriate background checks. Our doors remain locked at all times and we monitor both interior and exterior spaces with security cameras. We also have a High Point Police Officer on campus every school day between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm.
Come and see Wesleyan for yourself
We know choosing the right kindergarten program takes a lot of prayer and consideration. We encourage parents who are exploring their options to come and visit our campus. You’ll have the opportunity to step into our classrooms, meet our teachers, ask questions, and get a feel for all that our learning community has to offer.