Junior & Senior Infants (Kindergarten/Vorschule)
The Kindergarten welcomes children from 4-6 years of age. Pupils entering Kindergarten (Junior Infants) must be 4 years of age.
- During those two years each pupil follows a blend of what we consider to be the best of the Irish and German curricula for this age group. A knowledge of the German language is not a requirement for entry into the Kindergarten School.
- There are four classes in Kindergarten and each class has a mix of Kindergarten pupils [Junior Infants, 4/5 years] and Vorschule pupils [Senior Infants, 5/6 years] as would be the norm in Germany.
- We aim to ensure that our classes include an even mix of children regarding sex, German mother and foreign tongue as well as nationality.
Our Kindergarten groups are bilingual and cover various topics throughout the year, based on the interests expressed by the children in each group. We offer a building block area, painting and craft activities, a book corner, puzzles and board games. Kindergarten pupils have their own exclusive playground and are always supervised by the Kindergarten teachers.
One Teacher - One Language
Since the start of the school year 2020-21 there are two teachers in each Kindergarten class – whilst both teachers are German speakers, one teacher will use English only and one teacher will use German only when addressing or teaching the children (“One Teacher – One Language”). This new method was introduced to foster the teaching and learning of the German language in Kindergarten. The Jolly Phonic programme will continue with a mother tongue English speaking teacher. More information on the Kindergarten language learning concept is available here.
School Day
The school day begins at 8:25 a.m. for all classes in Kindergarten. Children can be dropped off from 7.45 a.m. with teacher supervision and the school day finishes at 12:50 p.m. Break times can be flexible in the Kindergarten but a break is normally taken at 11:00 a.m. Kindergarten pupils bring packed lunches and snacks from home.
Our daily routine comprises circle-time consisting of songs, rhymes, games, finger plays and stories to begin and end the day. Furthermore, we offer “free and directed” play as well as planned activities and outdoor play time.
- Both German and English are used in the classrooms throughout the day (One Teacher – One Language) – more information here.
- Pupils attend two classes of Jolly Phonics per week.
- Pupils have a sports class in the gym once a week.
The school holidays are in accordance with the standardised school year prescribed by the Department of Education and Skills.
Parent–Teacher Meetings
take place in late September or early October. At this meeting parents will meet their child’s class teacher. Aspects of school life and curriculum content will be dealt with and it is an opportunity to raise any questions of a general nature you may have about St. Kilian’s. To discuss your own child in more detail and on a more personal level all teachers will meet with parents at a time suitable for both parties.
Learning Support/Resource Teaching
St. Kilian’s Primary School has a Resource department for Maths, English and general difficulties. If it is considered that your child needs assistance, this will be given in conjunction with the class teacher. The deployment of resource teaching is teacher driven.
