This upcoming school year, Donna Klein Jewish Academy is launching its first Junior Kindergarten. The goal of Junior Kindergarten is to provide differentiated, developmentally appropriate learning for each child. The small number of children in the classroom (limit 14 children) allows the two teachers to meet the individual needs and different learning styles of each student. The primary benefit of the Junior Kindergarten class is that it enables a child to enter an elementary school environment while giving him/her an alternate experience before entering kindergarten.

Junior Kindergarten (JrK) is a program for two groups of children:

• Children who are age appropriate for kindergarten, but may need developmental time in any number of areas, including receptive and expressive language, gross and fine motor skills or cognitive readiness skills
• Children who miss the kindergarten age deadline, but are academically and emotionally ready for a step beyond preschool

Our theme based and integrated curriculum embraces hands-on experiential learning in language arts, math, social studies, science, Judaic studies and Hebrew language. Students will attend music, art, physical education, library classes and special programs as part of the Donna Klein Jewish Academy Lower School. Computers and  SMART Boards are used within the classroom for daily technology integration. Materials are used to create concrete experiential and active learning processes in areas of social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development providing children with the necessary time to hone these skills which are necessary for future success in school. 

Junior Kindergarten students will be part of DKJA’s nurturing environment where children learn and live our Jewish values, strive for excellence in achievement and celebrate the joys of our heritage. Through evaluation of each child’s foundation, teachers will provide breadth and depth to their learning thereby creating a bridge facilitating the students’ move into kindergarten the following year.

Placement in Junior Kindergarten is not a substitute for Kindergarten. After completion of Jr.K children will be required to attend Kindergarten.