“Youth is a time to form both the head and the heart.” ~ Noah Webster
Kindergarteners are enormously impressed by the significance of their first step on the academic ladder; they are starting school at last. They rightly sense that something new is in the air, and they have “great expectations” about what they will do, who they will meet, and what they will learn.
As Plato wrote, “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” Our full-day program offers an exceptional beginning. At Crossroads we want kindergarten to be a year of social, emotional, physical, and academic growth for our youngest children. Right from the start our kindergarteners are a part of our K-8 community. Through all-school assemblies and cross-grade activities and playtime, our kindergarteners become an integral part of our K-8 family. It is not unusual to see a long-legged eighth grader scoop up a kinder student to help him make a basket at the basketball hoop or to see a seventh grader gently pushing our little ones on the swings.
Our warm, creative, and experienced kindergarten and assistant teachers provide just the right blend of academics and genuine fun. They bring the wonderful world of reading, mathematics, geography, history, and science to our students. Through lively, engaging, sequenced and content-driven lessons, our kinder students are soon reading, writing, solving mathematical problems, and exploring the world through geography, history, and science. Our academic program is based on the Core Knowledge sequence. To find specifics about our content units, click here to find the Core Knowledge website.
Sprinkled throughout the day are classes we call “specials.” These include art/art history, music/music history, physical education, library, chorus, and music. These courses are taught by specialists in their fields. Our days are punctuated with plenty of time to play, both indoors and out-of-doors. Our play facilities include outdoor structures, a large playing field, a natural playground, and a 3-km walking trail along the pristine Hewes Brook.
Perhaps one of the most unusual aspects of our school is our character education program. Piloted on our campus and now used in many schools, the Core Virtues Program encourages students to “do their best and be their best.” This program begins in kindergarten and is infused into all that we do; it is not an “add on” to our daily program. Through lively storytelling using picture books, our youngest students learn about and practice actions that support the formation of good character.
As our Director of Admissions, Betsy Warren, says, “Seeing is believing.” Come for a visit so that you can discover how our school is different, right from the start.
* History Highlights
- Naturally Geographic: A Tour of the Seven Continents
- Castle Days, Medieval Ways
- Native Americans: Past and Present
- Columbus and the Pilgrims: Land Ho! and the New World
- Colonial Towns and the Daily Life of Their Townspeople
- Mount Rushmore: Four Presidents to Know
* Science Highlights
- Humans’ Five Amazing Senses
- The Kinder Garden: Introduction to Plant Life
- The Importance of Farms: Animals and Crops
- Reasons for Weather and the Four Seasons
- Taking Care of the Earth: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
For the youngest learners in your family, here are the links to several preschools within a few miles of Crossroads Academy.
http://www.lymenurseryschool.com/
Lyme Nursery School
155 Dartmouth College Highway
P.O. Box 91
Lyme, NH 03768
603-795-4567
http://www.hampshirecooperative.org
Hampshire Cooperative Nursery School
104 Lyme Road
Hanover, NH 03755
603-643-4640
http://www.toddlersmorningout.com/
Toddler’s Morning Out
40 N. College Street
Hanover, NH 03755
603-643-6747