KINDERGARTEN

Goals

1. To provide opportunities and experiences that encourage growth in all developmental areas – spiritual, emotional, intellectual, social and physical.
2. To provide a nurturing, accepting environment that will encourage children to develop positive self-images by respecting their different levels and timings of maturity and development.
3. To provide an atmosphere that promotes the development of independence and responsibility to increase the self-esteem of each child.
4. To provide an integration of subjects through multi-sensory units of study to address each child’s unique learning style.
5. To prepare the children for a successful transition into 1st grade and to provide the best possible foundation for future learning.

Curriculum

Our Kindergarten program follows the approved curriculum of the Archdiocese of Hartford. We have a text series for each of the four major subject areas: Religion, Reading Readiness, Mathematics and Handwriting.

Comprehensive, multi-sensory units of study are used in our Science, Social Studies and Health programs. The Kindergarten class participates in all school "specials" including computer class, library, art, music, Spanish and gym resulting in a well-balanced, interesting educational experience.

Religion

The religion series that we use is called Blest Are We. With this series, the children will learn about the many gifts that God has given them. Some of the chapters include the five senses, community helpers, families, holidays and the Bible. We will also be learning some basic prayers throughout the year. The Kindergarten children will attend Mass beginning in January, and will be included in all school-wide religious activities.

Reading

The reading series that we use is called Beginning to Read, Write and Listen by Pleasant T. Rowland. The series contains twenty-four letter books, (two books have double letters), that are arranged in an order that allows a child to build on preceding information. Upon the completion of each letter book, a homework assignment will be sent home as an opportunity for you to review and reinforce information with your child. This reading series is a phonetically based program.

Math

The Math Program that we use is called Math in Action, which is published by MacMillan/McGraw-Hill. The children will be using manipulatives, independent practice and cooperative learning to master concepts including position, classification, patterns, comparison, writing numerals, ordinals, comparing, measuring, geometry, fractions, time, money, adding and subtracting. Each chapter has a "test" to evaluate each student’s comprehension. This series is used throughout the rest of the school.

Handwriting

Saint Ann School uses the D’Nealian style of handwriting. This type of writing involves making letters without removing the pencil from the paper. This style of writing is similar to cursive handwriting and therefore makes the transition from printing to cursive an easier one.

Social Studies/Science

Our Social Studies and Science curriculum includes various units of study. The school will provide each child with a subscription to a weekly magazine called Let’s Find Out, by Scholastic, which is used to generate topics of interest. Some units typically covered in Kindergarten are the five senses, transportation, "All About Me", the four seasons, water, dental health, the holidays, dinosaurs, farm animals and nutrition. Units may vary from year to year, depending on the interest of the children within the class.

Significant Projects

The Saint Ann School kindergarten participates in the technology partnership with the University of Richmond and Boston University and the school technology programs in order to provide the students with technology experiences across all areas of the curriculum. These opportunities including the utilization of a variety of programs including Microsoft's Word, Excel and Publisher and Kid Pix. Skills are reinforced through classroom extension activities during additional scheduled computer time. In addition, the classroom is wired for internet use and using our classroom television and teacher laptop, we can project websites and preview activities to enrich all areas of our curriculum. The children are also provided time on our classroom computer to practice skills at their own pace.

Dinneen Vollero

Southern Connecticut State University
B.S. Early Childhood Education
M.S. Education
Connecticut Teaching Certificate, Pre-K-6

When she realized that she has been teaching Kindergarten at Saint Ann’s since 1993. Dinneen’s reaction was, “Wow!”  A graduate of Saint Louis School in West Haven and of Hamden’s Sacred Heart Academy, Dinneen felt that Saint Ann’s was “a natural placement” right out of college.  “I knew from the first day that this was a special school with all the wonderful attributes that I had always experienced during my own Catholic education.”

Dinneen and her husband Kevin have two young children, Paige, a sixth grader at Saint Ann’s and Nicholas, who is in first grade.  Besides spending time with her family Dinneen loves to read, walk the dog, cook and travel.

Dinneen’s goal is to provide every student entrusted to her “the best education possible in a loving, nurturing environment.”  She believes that children reach their fullest potential when they feel accepted, valued and secure.  Saint Ann’s provides strong Catholic values and living examples of those values in action, allowing every child to feel and witness God’s love.

In addition to encouraging spiritual growth and development Dinneen strives to address each child’s unique learning style by providing a wide range of activities in multi-sensory units.  By teaching her children to be successful, independent and responsible she hopes to increase their self-esteem.  By instilling a love of learning in each child, she knows that she will give them the best foundation for all their future education. 

Mary Brown - Aide

Kindergarten Aide
Co-Director, After School Program 

Mary has been a part of the Saint Ann School staff since 1994.  She and her husband Jim are the proud parents of to sons, Joseph and Peter, both Saint Ann graduates.  Mary and Jim feel that the excellent education their sons received at Saint Ann’s prepared them well private high schools, college and the work force.

When she is not in the classroom Mary enjoys quilting, scrap booking, reading and traveling to Maine to visit with her five grandchildren. 

Mary believes that a Catholic education:

·        Reinforces the teachings of Jesus Christ

·        Builds a community of faith among teachers, students and parents

·        Teaches strong Catholic values and morals

·        Encourages the development of self-esteem

·        Teaches self-respect and respect for others