A Kindergartener's Day

Students arrive between 7:15 - 7:30 a.m. and start their day in the Chinese classroom.

VAIS is part of the school district’s free breakfast program. Every student can have a nourishing start to the day. Breakfast is served in the cafeteria.

Students begin their day with community building time. Everyone gets a chance to speak in Chinese about the chosen topic in a fun and engaging way. Topics include self introduction, greetings, calendar, weather, and more as students' Chinese vocabulary expands.

Students are introduced to Chinese vocabulary in weekly thematic units (family, what is in my backpack, food, etc.). The teacher may use educational technology tools to engage students and gather immediate feedback on student understanding and progress.

Students at VAIS participate in art, music, and physical education each week.

After the teacher introduces new concepts, students practice these skills in different ways. The teacher is available to work with students in small groups and challenge each of them academically.

The students go to recess followed by school lunch available for purchase or lunch brought from home depending on family preferences. Recess staff provide supervision during this time.

Students start the second half of their day in the English classroom. Often this is when social studies lessons are integrated into the day. The class might discuss a historical figure, learn about another country, or explore the globe. Students will also engage in social emotional learning through a formal lesson or class meeting.

Students engage in a variety of literacy activities using the kindergarten standards as the guide. In kindergarten, students focus on the foundational skills of reading such as phonemic awareness and phonics. They also work on reading comprehension and vocabulary using both literary and informational texts.

In writing, students progress from drawing pictures and talking about what they drew to writing words and sentences as they become better writers.

Kindergarteners play outside (weather permitting) on the playground with other K-1 students. Recess staff provide supervision during this time.

School is dismissed at 2:25 p.m.

Every week, kindergarteners also participate in a lesson taught by the school librarian. They will also have an opportunity to check out a book.

Throughout the year, kindergarteners may take part in VAIS community gatherings, all-school assemblies, cultural events, field trips, and classroom celebrations.