Oskaloosa Christian Kinder Kids Pilot Program Declared a Success

The 2015-2016 Kinder Kids celebrated their accomplishments at a special assembly on Friday May 20.

The 2015-2016 academic year has come to a close for area schools, whose teachers and administrators are reflecting upon the many successes of students and staff members. One school which is reporting a definitive success with its piloted Pre-Kindergarten program is Oskaloosa Christian School.

The Board of Directors envisioned a kindergarten program which would meet the needs of younger 5-year-olds in a transitional program and other 5- and 6-year-olds in a more traditional track. Kinder Kids just completed the first year of operation on Tuesday, May 24th, and Director Ruth De Bruin is calling the venture “a roaring success.” The Board will fully implement the program in 2016-2017, with transitional kindergarteners proceeding to the traditional program.

Mrs. De Bruin said, “We could not be more pleased by the developmentally appropriate learning activities of both the traditional and transitional programs. By observing students during our annual spring kindergarten round-up, and continuing our assessment of their work during the first trimester of the actual school year, we were able to be flexible about placement in either the traditional or transitional track.”

A total of 31 Kinder Kids were instructed and mentored by Mrs. De Bruin, Lois Harris, and Dana Lashley. At certain junctures, all 31 students were in the larger of the two Kinder Kids rooms. At other points during the school day, the 9 transitional kindergarteners met separately to receive even more focused instruction, and the 22 more traditionally placed kindergarteners received instruction separately. The school continued to offer a “progressive” model of scheduling, with the traditional kindergarteners increasing the number of days of attendance from the first until the final trimester, when they met 5 days a week in the all-day model.

Dr. Bob Stouffer, Principal, indicated, “I am very proud to have been the interim administrator during the time of the Kinder Kids implementation. Mrs. De Bruin and the Board saw an itch in the community, and Oskaloosa Christian scratched it well! Our school is constantly seeking ways that we can provide value to Oskaloosa and surrounding communities. With the Kinder Kids program, we have brought innovation and excellence to the educational arena.”

Kinder Kids enrollment is just as strong for the 2016-2017 school year, and the Board is determining ways of remodeling the school building to accommodate the need for additional space. “Our hope,” Board President Joel Groenenboom said, “is for Kinder Kids families to see the benefit of Christ-centered, biblically-directed education, and continue their experience through the 8th grade. If such growth appears, the Board needs to be ahead of the growth curve with additional space for multiple sections in other grade levels.”

Stouffer said, “People interested in the exciting Kinder Kids program are encouraged to contact the school for more information (641-672-2174).”