Hunterdon Christian Academy Pre-K Program


The Pre-K Program was developed to help nurture the growth and development of a child before they enter Kindergarten.

The goals for Pre-K are:

Integrate subject areas in order to make learning meaningful and fun.

Facilitate the development of the whole child – social, intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual – through developmentally appropriate activities.

To adapt to the individual needs of each child.

Be Christian-based with a foundation on sound educational theory about how children learn and develop.

Encourage family involvement and keep family members informed of their child’s development.

Provide creative, hands-on activities that allow children to learn through experimentation and exploration and encourage development of higher-order thinking skills.

Stimulate creativity and foster a positive self-image in each child.

The Pre-K Curriculum includes:

  • Bible
  • Language Arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • The Arts
  • Motor Skills

 

   

  Mrs. Lerch's Kindergarten Class 

My name is Jeannie Lerch, and I am in my eighth year of teaching Kindergarten at Hunterdon Christian Academy. My teaching experience began by home schooling my own children for eight years. Then, as the Lord often does, He started a new chapter in our lives by having us leave home schooling and bringing us to H.C.A. I became the new Kindergarten teacher, while my children became students in the school.

Personal info:   On a personal note, I live in Alpha, N.J. with my wonderful husband, Craig, and have three wonderful children, Mike, 20yrs., Lauren, 18yrs., and Rebecca, 12yrs.! Other family "members" include our Yellow Lab, Comete, our Corgie, Tiffany, and our two cats, Emelia and Pumpkin! (Not to mention several hermit crabs who shall remain nameless!) 

Hobbies:   My hobbies include singing, gardening and yard sales!!!

Classroom Info:   Curriculum-The curriculum used for Kindergarten is primarily Abeka, with a strong influence of the Four Blocks Kindergarten program known as, Building Blocks. The Bible and Christian values are interwoven throughout the program with manners and character being of great importance. Phonics is the key subject emphasized in our fall lesson plans, with a steady progression toward reading by the end of the year!

Topics:   Our topics are based upon weekly themes, such as "Apple Week", "Pumpkin Week" and one of my favorites..."Rainforest Week"! Each theme allows for a fun way to keep the students focused on a main idea as the various subjects are covered. Themes also lend themselves nicely to the use of our learning centers, which cover subjects such as reading, listening, science, math, and computer.

Special projects:   Special projects are also known as our Kindergarten traditions! In October we bake pumpkin bread, followed by gingerbread ornaments in December. While these are just a few of our projects, we especially look forward to the biggest project, presenting our puppet show, The Little Red Hen. Each year we present our puppet show to the new pre-Kindergartners at Kindergarten Round-up! We spend several weeks in preparation learning to read our scripts, which bring our puppets to life!

Field trips:   Field trips are the icing on the cake. Throughout the year we take frequent trips to the library nearby, as well as a Fall trip to Unami Farms. There we enjoy a hayride, pumpkin picking, and a memorable farm experience! Our spring field trips often include a trip to the Raritan Valley Theater and a day trip to The Crayola Factory in Easton, Pa.!

Every day is a GREAT day in Kindergarten at HCA!