||| FROM REBECCA CARTER for ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL |||
Orcas Christian School is bringing the island its first transitional kindergarten program for the 2022-2023 school year. Transitional kindergarten is a program that supports students who would not turn 5 by August 31, providing extra resources and preparation in order for them to be successful in kindergarten the following school year. The program can be seen as a bridge between preschool and kindergarten with a gradual ramp up to the academic and social-emotional expectations of kindergarten.
In introducing the program, the OCS kindergarten classroom will move from kindergarten-only to a combination transitional and traditional kindergarten program, allowing students who enter transitional kindergarten to spend 2 years with teacher Debbie Liblik, who is excited about the move. “The program will allow us to give younger students a gentle transition into a kindergarten classroom in a fun, hands-on setting, in addition to the flexibility it gives parents,” she said.
“Debbie is a phenomenal teacher,” said OCS principal Terry Pottle. “The OCS Board and staff are excited to begin offering this needed resource to the island community with such an engaging, passionate instructor at the helm.”
Open enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year has already begun. For more information, call (360) 376-6683 or e-mail office@oics.org.
