As parents, choosing Great Hearts Christian Academy, provides for your child a holistic education that focuses on formation and transformation in the soil of the Great Books, a Christian environment, and beautiful Socratic conversation in the classroom. It trains up students in the way that they should go, equipping them for every good work that God has prepared for them.

This can seem like a lofty goal, as you stare at your young one, still learning how to button and unbutton their sweater, but it’s a worthwhile one and at the heart and mission of what we do. We don’t expect students to have “arrived” prior to entering our doors, but we believe with parent partnership, training, and intentional formation the highest levels of intellect and virtuous living can be attained.

Parents frequently ask if Great Hearts Christian Academy is the right fit for their child as they begin their educational journey. When they tour, they notice the structure of our classrooms and have a hard time imagining their child in that environment. Many times, when thinking about structure, parents envision a lack of excitement, joy, and wonder. The opposite is true in our classrooms. The structure and routines provided in our classrooms allow students to feel safe to imagine, take risks, and discover the world around them.

Our kindergarten school day is purposefully built to accommodate physical movement and play. We understand that free play is foundational for students’ development. It builds their creativity, social skills, and imagination. There is frequent movement in our kindergarten classrooms, where students move their bodies through wiggle breaks, fun transitions, and whole-body motions tied to songs and chants.

Kindergarten students have both a morning and afternoon recess. The CDC Healthy Schools website has published an article about recess where they list the following ways that recess benefits students:

• Increases level of physical activity
• Improves memory, attention, and concentration
• Helps them stay on-task in the classroom
• Reduces disruptive behavior in the classroom
• Improves their social and emotional development (e.g., learning how to share and negotiate

The balance between high education and early childhood pedagogy makes the transition into Great Hearts Christian Academy a smooth one for our youngest students. It provides a strong foundational base to carry them forward and sets their trajectory for future success as a learner, wonderer, and well-rounded individual to reach their ultimate purpose in Christ.

Return to the Kindergarten Page