Ready, Set, Kindergarten!
At Sierra Nevada Academy Charter School, a tuition-free public charter school, we know that kindergarten is the crucial foundation for a successful education. A positive kindergarten experience can foster a love of learning, help your child develop emotional resilience. A positive kindergarten experience can foster a love of learning, help your child develop emotional resilience, and help your child gain important social skills. We are thrilled to hear from our Kindergarten-4th Team Leader, Kassandra Ingalls, as she shares insight into what Kindergarten looks like at SNACS.
How is Kindergarten Structured?
Kindergarten at Sierra Nevada Academy Charter School is tuition-free and offered as a full-day program. Each day, our students have reading, language arts, math, and lots of learning through choice and play! Our kindergarteners get to experience Expeditionary Learning (EL) days and specials, including computer science, library and social-emotional lessons.
How Does SNACS Ease the Kindergarten Transition?
At SNACS, we know that it can be a difficult leap from preschool to kindergarten for both the child and families. To ease the stress of this transition, we meet with each family before school starts. We also set our kindergarten start date for one week later than our 1st-8th grade students. During this week, we introduce families and children in a small group session. Ms. Ingalls will provide parents with information about the school, important dates, and answer questions. Ms. Ingalls assesses each incoming kindergartener and introduces them to classroom procedures. This crucial time gives us a chance to get to know each child individually and create a personalized learning experience for the student.
Setting up Students for Success
At SNACS, we aim to provide a holistic experience for our youngest learners. In alignment with our mission, kindergarten students learn through play, choice, and learning centers. We leverage their natural curiosity with exploratory and hands-on activities. Students also engage in computer science, STEAM, and robotics to develop foundational critical thinking skills.
Unique Opportunities
The concept of play-based learning is unique to our school since not all kindergarten classrooms in Nevada offer play. Play-based learning allows younger students to explore their interests in a hands-on approach, fostering creativity and developing essential social and emotional skills. Our students get to choose how and when they learn. This gives students independence in their learning and supports key skills and brain development.
Connecting Across Grades
Kindergarten students interact with students in the older grades in a variety of settings. They are included in our reading buddies program. They also participate with and learn from older students on our Expeditionary Learning days scheduled throughout the year.
Per Nevada law, students must be 5 years old by August 1st to enroll in kindergarten. In 2023, the Nevada Department of Education adjusted the cut off date for kindergarten. It is now easier than ever for students at SNACS to start at our preschool and make a smooth transition into kindergarten. Students who do not meet the August 1 deadline may enroll in our free-preschool program.
Give your child a head start on a lifetime of success! Enroll in our tuition-free kindergarten today for Fall 2024. Secure a spot today and watch your child thrive!
About SNACS
Sierra Nevada Academy Charter School (SNACS) is a Tuition-Free Public K-8 Charter School with free preschool options. As Nevada’s first charter school, we have served our community for 25 years as a standout school of choice and personalized learning. We nurture self-directed learners through choice, prioritizing expeditionary learning and offering a unique, proprietary, hands-on P.L.A.Y. model (Promoting Learning and Accountability in Youth). Now in a new location, 10 miles north of Reno, SNACS brings the small school experience back to the neighborhood. Education – with a choice! We’re enrolling for Fall 2024-2025.