Press release submitted by the Applewild School
Applewild School is pleased to announce the expansion of its Devens Campus by adding a Kindergarten class for the upcoming school year. The Applewild School campus at Devens launched a Preschool program in 2014 and has since been a highly sought-after choice for area families. The program has been recognized for its emphasis on nature and the outdoors by early education leaders who have used Applewild’s program as an example in their teacher training. A strong interest by current Devens Preschool families led the school to grow and add a Kindergarten class to begin in September.
The Kindergarten, aligning with Applewild’s existing program located at the Fitchburg campus, will emphasize child discovery and the careful fostering of academic readiness in a climate built around Core Values, with respect at the fore, and Core Competencies such as thinking critically, creating, and communicating. The program fosters reading preparation skills in a low pressure, fun setting, which results in most of the children being early or more advanced readers by the time they are ready for first grade. Similarly, in mathematics the program provides excellent grounding in number sense. Applewild Kindergarten teachers use a thematic approach to social studies and science, and are explicit in teaching Core Values through Responsive Classroom techniques that flow naturally from our Preschool approach.
Consistent with the existing Kindergarten on the main campus, the Devens campus offerings will include “specials” in art, music, and physical education; and the Devens Kindergarten students will become the campus leaders for the younger preschool children. The class will also travel to the Fitchburg campus twice a month to connect with their main-campus classmates and their fifth grade buddies, prepare for the spring K – 3 musical, enjoy the Lower School family-style lunches, create a toy in Applewild’s woodshop special, and begin to learn French.
These intentional creative activities are designed to prepare children to be successful, confident learners and creative problem solvers. Applewild teachers know their students well and empower them to recognize how they learn best.
For more information on how to schedule a tour or apply for fall enrollment, please contact Jennifer Wing, Director of Admissions at 978-342-6053 x 110.