February 18, 2019

Dear Campus School Families,

I was recently talking with one of my colleagues about our respective kindergarten experiences. We both grew up on Long Island at a time when the suburbs of New York City were growing, many schools were new (mine stood in what was a former potato farm), and most K programs were half day. We discovered that our K report cards were almost identically focused. There was not one category that was strictly academic in nature – all feedback was about the social-emotional aspects of learning, which was typical of K programs at the time.

My teacher, Miss Kenny, was kind and warm, and I can still recall how she looked and her manner with the children. Most of our time was spent playing, building, drawing, discovering, observing, singing,and learning how to get along with other children, and one of the highlights of the day was being chosen to get milk for the class from the cafeteria. We would go in pairs and stack the milk cartons in a small wooden wheelbarrow. This modest act seemed like a big deal at the time.

Miss Kenny is long gone but her influence still lingers, all these years later. She provided her students with an interesting, safe, and secure experience, one that set the foundation for all future learning and development, which is one of the core outcomes of a strong K program. Kindergarten at the Campus School is important because it is this foundational experience, the formal start of a learning journey that will take a student all the way to 6th grade and the maturity, independence, and confidence that our oldest students embody. This K – 6 continuum is the hallmark of the Campus School, and it provides the structure, attention, challenge, and security our students need to realize their full potential.

Warmly,

Chris