*Flexible Seating: Flexible seating is just what it sounds like! Seating that is flexible! Students are able to pick a seat that they feel will work best for them! Our flexible seating choices include scoop rockers, yoga mats, carpet/clipboard, wobble stools, rocking chairs, stability balls, standing table, floor table and regular chairs!

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*Mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present, and is a way of clearing our mind and calming our bodies down through the use of controlled breathing. It is not affiliated with any type of religious view in the classroom. There are many benefits of mindfulness which include the ability to regulate ones own emotions, increased resiliency, increased ability to manage stress, and increased motivation to sustain difficult tasks.

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*Play Based Homework: At Hutchinson, we really value developmentally appropriate curriculum, and we do not believe that sending home daily worksheets for homework is appropriate nor effective. To help foster your child's learning in real world situations and to develop their social emotional skills, your child will be taking home voluntary play based homework each month. We encourage completion, but your child may pick and choose which activities they would like to do! Kinders need a lot of time to be creative, play outside and develop a true love for learning. Examples of what might be included on their monthly play based homework are the following: "find 10 things in your house that are a rectangular prism," "go outside and make a list of all the textures you feel," "write a thank you note to a custodian at your school," "see how many jumping jacks you can do in one minute."

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*Discovery Reading: "Discovery Reading" is a daily sharing time centered on non-fiction books. Students will have the opportunity to discover, explore and emulate non-fiction information, followed by a time in which they are able to share something they have discovered. Talk on the oval facilitates the modeling and eliciting of quality talk and quality listening, and is also directly tied to our discovery writing time.

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*Purposeful play: Purposeful play is a time for integrating curriculum concepts through the use of dramatic play. It is a time for stimulating play environments that simulate real world experiences. Students may choose from purposeful play centers such as makerspace, art studio, kitchen, gross motor (building blocks, marble tracks), fine motor (painting, kinetic sand, legos). As well as dramatic play centers that will be directly correlated to our science and social studies curriculum (restaurant, police officers, schools, science lab etc...)