The Premier International School in Greece 

since 1945 

Stefanos Gialamas, Ph.D. President of Schools

Dina Pappas Elementary School Principal

pappasd@acs.gr

Cathy Makropoulos Early Childhood/Day Care Coordinator

makropoulosc@acs.gr

Anny Kalfa Elementary School Administrative Secretary

kalfaa@acs.gr

129 Aghias Paraskevis Ave. & Kazantzaki St.

152 34 Halandri Athens, Greece

Tel.: +30 (210) 639 3200

Fax: +30 (210) 639 0051

www.acs.gr acs@acs.gr

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Mission Statement ACS Athens is a student‐centered international school, embracing American educational philosophy, 

principles and values. Through excellence in teaching and diverse educational experiences, ACS Athens challenges all students to realize their unique potential: academically, intellectually, socially and 

ethically ‐‐ to thrive as responsible global citizens. 

CONTENTS: The Early Childhood Program at ACS Athens ......................................................................... - 4 -

An Overview .................................................................................................................... - 4 - The JK Program................................................................................................................... - 4 -

The JK Program................................................................................................................... - 5 -

Junior Kindergarten .......................................................................................................... - 5 - Daily Program............................................................................................................... - 5 - Day Care ...................................................................................................................... - 5 -

Kindergarten Program.......................................................................................................... - 6 -

Kindergarten Daily Program .............................................................................................. - 6 - Supplies Needed for JK and Kindergarten .............................................................................. - 7 -

Appropriate Clothing for JK & Kindergarten ........................................................................... - 7 -

Getting Ready for the BIG DAY: JK and Kindergarten Readiness ............................................. - 7 -

Centers ............................................................................................................................... - 8 -

Reading Center ................................................................................................................ - 8 - The Math Center .............................................................................................................. - 8 - Writing Center.................................................................................................................. - 9 - The Art Center ................................................................................................................. - 9 - Music............................................................................................................................. - 10 - Cooking Center............................................................................................................... - 10 - Dramatic Play Center ...................................................................................................... - 10 - Library ........................................................................................................................... - 10 - Specials (Art, Music, P.E., Computers & Foreign Language)............................................... - 10 -

Parent Communication ....................................................................................................... - 11 -

Assessment ....................................................................................................................... - 11 -

Field Trips ......................................................................................................................... - 11 -

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The Early Childhood Program at ACS Athens

An Overview The American Community School’s Early Childhood Program serves children between the ages of 3 and 6. We believe in educating the “whole child” by focusing on intellectual, social, emotional, physical and creative growth while valuing the rich diversity of culture children bring to the classroom. Experiences and activities are planned to meet the needs of each child at his/her own level and rate of development. Emphasis is placed on the learning process rather than quick, correct answers. Learning is spontaneous. Children learn from each other and teachers act as facilitators in the learning process. The arrangement of the classroom encourages play and exploration. Learning centers are designed to develop language and literacy skills at a developmentally appropriate pace. Play and hands-on activities are an integral part of the learning opportunities. Children are free to experience, react, think, grow and change in their own unique ways. Most importantly, we want to make the experience of school a positive one by ensuring a smooth transition from home to school, building social skills and good work habits. A balance between child-directed and teacher-directed activities is maintained. Most teacher-directed activities are open-ended, allowing students to work at their own pace and, for the more able students, to extend their thinking and achieve more.

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The JK Program For ages 3, 4 & 5 The Junior Kindergarten Program is a half day program (9:00–1:00) with an opportunity to extend their day in the childcare program (1:00-3:30) including lunch. English is the language of instruction and each classroom has a teacher and an aide. It is designed to be a two year program with enrollment starting with children who turn 3 by December 31 of the current school year. All children must be fully toilet trained in order to attend. The primary goal of Junior Kindergarten is to recognize and meet the developmental needs of each child and to assist him/her in developing to his/her full potential. Teachers work with all levels of English proficiency from non-speakers to native speakers. Progress is made on a timetable that is unique to each child. At any given time, children in this class are at a variety of developmental levels. The classroom teacher along with the classroom aide collaborate to create develop-mentally appropriate activities via flexible grouping. Teachers serve as facilitators while they create a learning environment which enables the children to make choices to enhance their learning process. Students are supported by an assistant in the classroom. English is the language of instruction in this half day Junior Kindergarten program with lunch and child daycare available after 1:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. The classroom is designed to encourage play and exploration. Classrooms are structured with centers for Reading, Math, Writing, Science, Art, Music, Cooking and Dramatic Play, each stocked with stimulating hands-on materials. Children are free to experience, react, think and thus grow and change in their own unique ways. Children visit the library once a week to check out a book. Greek is also offered as a foreign language once a week. Most importantly, we want to make the experience of school a positive one by ensuring a smooth transition from home to school, building social skills and good work habits.

Junior Kindergarten

Daily Program

(subject to change depending on school-wide activities/events) 9:00 to 9:30 Free Exploration 9:30 to 10:00 Morning Routine 10:00 to 10:30 Snack 10:30 to 11:00 Outdoor Play 11:00 to 12:15 Journals & Center work (see explanation included in this book) 12:15 to 13:00 Sharing and Story Time 13:00 Regular program ends and Day Care begins.

Day Care

13:00 to 14:00 Hot lunch served inside classroom/Outdoor play follows 14:00 to 14:20 Quiet Time 14:20 to 15:00 Free Exploration 15:00 to 15:30 Preparations to go home (students are escorted to buses by an adult)

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Kindergarten Program For ages 5-6 Kindergarten is a full day (9:00 to 3:30) serving children who turn 5 by December 31 of the current year. The program offers Language Arts (pre-reading and writing), Math, Science, Social Studies, Greek or Arabic, Music, Art, Computers, Library and PE. Class sizes are small, usually with a maximum of 20 students per class with an assistant. Activities vary throughout the day and include listening to and reading unit-related stories and information books, discussions, writing stories, cooking, performing science experiments, making graphs, artwork exploring many different media, dramatization, singing, music and movement. In Kindergarten one letter of the alphabet is introduced each week.. Over the year students develop reading and writing skills as readers and writers and learn basic math such as numeration, comparison, sorting, patterning and measurement.

Kindergarten Daily Program (subject to change depending on school-wide activities/events) 9:00 to 9:30 Morning Routine 9:30 to 10:45 Center Work (See detailed explanation included in this booklet) 10:45 to 11:30 Snack and outdoor playtime 11:30 to 1:00 Time, continuation of morning activities 1:00-2:00 Hot lunch served inside classroom/Outdoor play follows 2:00-3:15 Specials classes 3:15-3:25 Pack-up 3:00 to 3:25 Story time 3:25 to 3:30 Student pick up and escorting to buses

Students must always be on time as the school day begins 9:00 a.m. sharp and parents must promptly pick up their child(ren) at 3:30 p.m.

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Supplies Needed for JK and Kindergarten

• A backpack to hold Student A4 size Take-Home Folder, Passport, and Snack

• A small, nutritious snack to be eaten daily mid-morning. We suggest fruit, cheese, raw vegetables, juice or a sandwich. Please avoid sending high-sugar foods! These foods have been found to impede learning.

• A hat for outdoor play during hot and cold weather • Waterproof footwear for rainy days. It is important for

children to play outside unless it is actually raining. • A change of clothes to be kept at school in case of

emergency • Please do NOT bring any toys to school as they may get

lost or broken.

Appropriate Clothing for JK & Kindergarten • Please dress your child for school in play clothes, as children will be working hard and

getting dirty in the process! • Please label your child’s clothing, bags and lunch boxes!

Getting Ready for the BIG DAY: JK and Kindergarten Readiness Starting school is an exciting time for both child and parent as it marks the beginning of a very important stage in a child’s life. Before your child starts school, make sure s/he can:

• Take care of his or her own toilet needs • Get dressed by him or herself • Express his or her needs to others

In order to ease any frustration or anxiety before school starts, we also strongly urge parents to:

• Label all your child’s things (especially jackets, coats, hats, gloves and boots). • Be cheerful and upbeat. The thought of your child going off to school may be tugging at

your heartstrings. If you have fears and anxieties of your own, try not to show them. • Make sure your child has a good night’s rest before each and every school day. • Consider walking with your child on the first day to the classroom. Then, as difficult as it

may be, SAY GOODBYE and GO; don’t procrastinate or you will make it harder on your child and yourself!

Students must always be on time as the school day begins 9:00 a.m. sharp

and parents must promptly pick up their child(ren) at 3:30 p.m.

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Centers Center Work is a big part of the school day. Students circulate from Center to Center and perform a variety of tasks that increase in level of difficulty or challenge throughout the school year. Some Centers are for free exploration only and the student directs the activity. Teachers direct, facilitate and take notes while observing students in their Centers.

Reading Center The Reading Center is a large carpeted area where demonstration and participation in literacy occurs during shared reading time. It is also where students practice reading during free exploration and where, at the day’s end, the class returns as a group to share and reflect on what they have done. Big Books, poems, hanging word picture charts, graphics, chants and songs (all in enlarged print) are easily accessible in this area. At this center, students acquire literacy appreciation and pre-reading skills. Puppets and pantomime are used for dramatization. Students learn to speak in complete sentences and sequence stories (practicing temporal relations). By sharing, students learn to express ideas clearly and build their self-confidence.

The Math Center The Math Center has a table and chairs for students and shelves for supplies. Some of the supplies found at this center include pattern blocks, Cuisinaire rods, Unifix cubes, Geoboards, beads for stringing, counters and math games. We build a strong foundation of basic mathematical concepts through the use of manipulatives and real life contexts in the classroom (calendar, play, math games). Students’ natural ability to learn through play is harnessed and literature is used to stimulate structured play.

Students work with math manipulatives following the Math Their Way Program. The following topics are covered: sorting, pattern, number, basic addition and subtraction, measurement, volume, time, introduction to place value, according to their developmental level. We emphasize understanding the basic concepts with concrete objects first and only then move on to teaching the mathematical symbol system. Most of our early math work goes unrecorded on paper…. Don’t expect many worksheets to come home as most learning occurs hands-on. The teacher keeps anecdotal records of student progress in math.

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Writing Center This center has a large table with chairs for students, shelves for supplies and journals for the students’ work. Some of the supplies found at this center include lined and unlined paper, pencils, crayons, clay, and the alphabet in upper and lower case letters. Wooden magnetic and plastic letters and copies of the alphabet are also available. Students are encouraged to “write” from the beginning by drawing their stories, adding more details to elaborate their ideas and communicate more effectively. Students regularly experiment with letters and sounds and read or copy some familiar sight words. Students draw pictures and “write” (from scribble to random lettering to inventive spelling) according to their developmental level. The teachers work with the student to scribe his/her stories. As appropriate, children are encouraged individually to develop their ideas, add more detail to their pictures, have a go at writing or use the alphabet chart to relate letter sounds to symbols. Students need to learn the letter sounds and letter symbols to ‘crack’ the reading/writing code. Teachers provide daily opportunities for them to “have a go” at writing themselves. In this way, they actively think through how to encode their own message in writing and with continual practice get better at it. Copying takes the initiative away from the child and is just passive handwriting practice.

The Art Center The Art Center has a large table and chairs for students and a shelf with various supplies. Some of the supplies found at this center include: tempera paints, glue, crayons, markers, pastels, scissors, chalk, finger paint, plasticene, clay pencils, paper, fabric…just to mention a few. This is one of our most popular centers and students are given the opportunity to express themselves through a variety of materials and processes throughout the day. Students are encouraged to look carefully at real objects and notice patterns and shapes to help them draw for themselves. Different media and techniques are introduced over the year. Students are taught to care for materials themselves. At this age the process of making something is often more important than the final product. Experimentation is encouraged.

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Music Music allows children to creatively express themselves and develop themselves musically. Language is learned through rhyme and song. Gross motor skills are developed through dance and movement. This also gives them the opportunity to develop their listening and memorization skills. The Kindergarten students additionally attend music class twice a week with the music teacher.

Cooking Center We also have a Cooking Center! At this center, students have the opportunity to explore concepts in Math and Science and to develop their oral language, fine motor skills (and to indulge the senses, naturally). Students learn about nutrition, measurement and sequencing while following a step-by-step process and developing independence. Emergent reading skills are practiced by reading through recipes and students practice counting and recognizing numerals.

Dramatic Play Center An essential learning element in the Early Childhood Center is play. This center includes a housekeeping area, dolls and dollhouse, puppets, cars and trucks, building blocks, farmhouse and animals. This area is used for free play, cooperative learning, and dramatic play. Play serves an important function in the cognitive, creative, language, social and physical development of young children (Saracho, 1986). Furthermore, while engaging in some form of play, children learn about problem solving, taking turns, responsibility and caring for materials, negotiating roles, role playing, sharing and developing concentration.

Library Students visit the library once a week as we know how quickly they can zoom through those books! Under our geometric dome, the librarian reads stories based on the current unit of inquiry taught in the classroom. Students are allowed to check out books beginning in JK. The Library is open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. daily and we encourage parents to come read with their students after school in this quiet and resource-rich environment. The Library is fully automated. Students may use computers to find their books as well.

Specials (Art, Music, P.E., Computers & Foreign Language) ACS Athens has subject area specialists who are resources and serve Kindergarteners. Students go to art, computers, foreign language, music and physical education (P.E.).

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Parent Communication • ACS Athens e-mail for important notices and events • Passport (check daily) • Take-Home Folder (check daily) • Newsletters from Teachers • ACS Athens Monthly Muse • Back-to-School Night • Parent/Teacher and Student-Led Conferences • Principal Coffees • Volunteering in the classroom or on Field Trips • Room Parents • Events throughout the year • ACS Athens website www.acs.gr

Assessment • Report Cards distributed three times a year • Parent/Teacher Conference (fall) and Student-Led Conference (spring) • On-going Assessments Include:

o Anecdotal records o Observations (while at work and play) o Fine motor artifacts o Oral responses

Field Trips Up to two field trips are taken throughout the year to enrich the curriculum and to provide our students with a chance to collect data for classroom use. Parent participation on these trips is encouraged! Please check with the teacher to see which Field Trips are scheduled for this year.

To find out more about our Early Childhood Development Program, or to schedule a visit, please call Mr. John Papadakis,

Director of Enrollment Management at 210-639-3200, ext. 263.

For updated information on ACS Athens,

check our Website at www.acs.gr

acs@acs.gr

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 129 Aghias Paraskevis St. & Kazantzaki, 152 34 Halandri,

Athens, Greece Tel.: +30 (210) 639 3200, Fax: +30 (210) 639 0051

www.acs.gr acs@acs.gr

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