Kindergarten

Nurturing Curiosity, Building Faith

These are the first important steps in your child’s educational journey. At Loma Linda Academy, our transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten teachers are credentialed, caring, and committed to helping your child develop foundational skills necessary for success. We have a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio. This ensures that each student receives hands-on, one-on-one attention. We nurture your child’s learning development in a safe, healthy, and secure environment while preparing them for a smooth transition into kindergarten and first grade.

Preparing for TK & Kindergarten

Use positive reinforcement at home to help your child:

Practice fine motor skills

How to properly hold a pencil/marker/crayon
How to use kid scissors and practice cutting paper
Practice writing name

Practice school procedures

Raising hand to speak
Lining up in a quiet single file line
Sharing (especially if your child is not used to sharing at home with siblings/small children)
Putting away items where they belong before playing/learning something new

Campus Ministries

Weekly chapels, classroom worship and Bible curriculum are only part of the ministry at the elementary. The social-emotional program at LLA, Grounded Kids, focuses on teaching four core values: emotional intelligence, respect, integrity and grit. These core values are intentionally reinforced in the classroom and in student discipline. Here are some examples of campus ministry activities:

Grounded Kids Chapel
Pastor Classroom Visits and Worship

Kindergarten Curriculum

Math - Your child’s counting, comparing, and writing skills are developed using the Big Ideas! math curriculum. In kindergarten, students are introduced to concepts that continue to build throughout their education.

Phonics & Reading - The Saxon Phonics program involves phonetic and sight word instruction to help your child learn how to sound out a word and to memorize the most common words. As students master pre-reading skills, they are able to begin using Accelerated Reader, a reading program that helps track progress and growth.

Language Arts/Writing - Your child is introduced to the writing process through World of Wonders. This program allows our students to develop basic writing skills while naturally expanding their writing abilities.

Letter of the Week — Examples

Writing: Learn/Master writing uppercase P and lowercase p
Reading: Collection of books that emphasize the letter/sound P (i.e., “If You Give a Pig a Pancake”)
Phonics: Doing activities (verbal, centers, seatwork) associated with P. Finding items around home and school that start with P. “Little Preppy Pups”- Sing-a-long song (emphasizing nouns, adjectives and adverbs that begin with P).
Culture: Learn about penguins (habitat, diet, activity)
Bible: Peter and the Lame Man. Learn story, learn about disabled/crippled people. Learn Bible verses using hand motions
Art: Design a sun catcher pumpkin
Fine motor skills- cutting, gluing, organizing, designing
Science Experiment: Dissect a pumpkin
Math: Counting/Simple addition. Matching Number/Dots pancake
game based off of book

Creation Kids Curriculum

Each week kids will learn writing, reading, phonics, culture, Bible, art, science & math, all focused on the letter of the week. Monthly themes are based on Creation Kids curriculum and our reading program, World of Wonders.

September (Choice)
October (Interpersonal Relationships)
November (Trust)
December/January (Nutrition)
February (Activity)
March (Environment)
April (Rest)
May (Outlook)

Monday-Thursday Schedule

8:00-8:10 Morning Routine

8:15-8:30 Worship Chapel: Thursday 8:10-8:40

8:30-8:45 Math

8:45-9:15 Recess

9:20-9:50 Math

9:50-10:20 English Language Arts: Small Groups

10:25-10:55 Rotations

11:00-11:55 Lunch

12:00-12:20 Bible

12:20-1:30 Phonics & Language Arts

1:30-1:50 Science/Social Studies

1:50-2:10 Recess

2:10-2:20 Handwriting

2:20-2:40 Clean Up/Dismissal

*Weekly rotations through Music, Library, & PE (including Art in the classroom)

Friday Schedule

8:00-8:15 Morning Routine

8:15-8:45 Bible/Worship

8:45-9:15 Recess

9:20-10:20 Show-n-Tell/Language Arts

10:25-11:30 Cooking/STEM Play

11:35-12:00 Lunch

12:00-12:15 Clean Up/Dismissal

Lunch Program

A vegetarian lunch is available for purchase Monday through Thursday. Meal ticket packets may be purchased in the Elementary office—$50 for 8 tickets. Monthly menus are available online. The meals include a selection of items to promote a balanced diet of protein, vegetables, and fruits. On Fridays, cheese pizza is available for purchase by the slice for $1.00.

Before & After-School Care

Childcare that enhances the total learning experience. Kids’ University opens in the morning before school starts and again in the afternoon after school finishes for the day.

Basic Fee: $5.50 per hour
6:30-7:30am and after school until 6pm M-Th and 4pm on Fridays

Learn More about Kids' University

Field Trip & Activities

Both on- and off-campus field trips are a fun way to reinforce what students are learning in class. Every week students have a chance to explore their skills in art and cooking.

November: Thanksgiving Feast

December: Christmas Tree Farm in Mentone, Happy Birthday Jesus! Decorate Cookies & Book Exchange

January: Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach

February: Wild Life Learning in-house field trip

May: Kindergarten Music Program

June: Graduation, Swim party at Drayson