New North American Division Kindergarten Program: Stepping Stones

The North American Division Education Department has taken on the huge task of writing a new total kindergarten curriculum. There is a steering and writing committee that has been working on this for the last couple years. This committee is composted of the finest teachers, writers, and artists representing our churches from all over the North American Division. They have also provided research upon which to base the program. A lot of prayers, study, time, and money went into this important endeavor.

The first week of November, 2008, there was a meeting in Dallas, Texas to introduce the program to lead teachers from each union of the North American Division. There were about 20 or more kindergarten teachers representing these unions to learn about the new program, entitled “Stepping Stones”,emphasizing one month’s theme entitled, “Brrr, It’s Cold!” Our own Mrs. Closser was one of these representatives. The one-month theme correlates with the new Pathways reading program for grades 1-8, covering the theme of environments. Kindergarten’s environmental study will be the arctic for the month of January. It integrates all subjects into the study of this one theme, including Bible.

Madison Campus Elementary has been chosen as the pilot school representing the Southern Union for this new program. Mrs. Closser is thrilled to be implementing this new exciting program. She, along with all the other lead teachers of the NAD, will also be able to critique and advise the writing committee, ensuring the finished product is the best it can be. If the timeline works as planned, the total completed rough draft of the program should be ready for the lead teachers to implement by the school year of 2009-10. Each lead teacher will be responsible for introducing the new program to the other Kindergarten teachers in their union and holding individual conferences before implementing the completed revised program in 2011.

How can you help Mrs. Closser implement this pilot program? By praying and collecting lids of juice cans and gallon-size white milk jugs. She’s going to need a lot of these items. Thanks for your part in making our school a great place to learn and grow.