Junior Kindergarten at GHS
At GHS, our Junior Kindergarten (JK) program is designed to nurture the natural curiosity, enthusiasm, and energy of young learners. Children at this stage are active, eager, and full of wonder—and our program embraces that spirit with a dynamic, developmentally appropriate curriculum that lays the foundation for a successful transition to kindergarten and beyond.
A central focus of our JK program is social-emotional growth. We guide children in developing essential social skills such as taking turns, solving playground problems, listening to others, and working collaboratively. These everyday experiences are supported by hands-on practice and gentle reinforcement, helping students gain confidence and independence.
Our curriculum introduces students to spoken and written language, reading, mathematics, science and social science. A key element of our reading program is building a strong phonics foundation—connecting sounds to letters and blending them into words. Writing begins with simple strokes, such as lines and circles, and progresses to letter formation. Many different modalities are used in JK to build finance motor strength and practice strokes and letters before putting pencil to paper. D’Nealian letters are taught in order of letter shape groups.
In math, students move from hands-on exploration using manipulatives to more abstract and independent problem-solving. The program is a thoughtful combination of concrete activities and written exercises that help children understand numbers, patterns, and relationships.
The science and social science are based on monthly themes and integrated throughout the language arts, math and art curriculums with hands-on projects and experiments.
The JK experience is further enriched with weekly participation in specialty classes including Art, Music, Spanish, Tech & Innovation, Performing Arts and Physical Education—giving students a well-rounded early education and opportunities to express themselves creatively and physically.
Character development is also an essential part of our program. Through our school-wide values—integrity, perseverance, compassion, teamwork, respect, responsibility, self-discipline, and citizenship—students build strong habits and learn how to work both independently and collaboratively within a caring community.
To meet the needs of students and their families, we offer flexible scheduling options, including a half-day program, full-day program, and extended care. These options provide a supportive structure that accommodates a variety of learning styles and family routines.
Junior Kindergarten at GHS is more than just a stepping stone—it’s the beginning of a joyful, meaningful journey in learning and community.