Positive comments and testimonies are heard over and over again from parents regarding the kindergarten program at Self Development Academy (SDA), where the student’s road to academic success begins.
“I was amazed at my daughter’s growth,” said parent Dinah Munir. “In just three months, she began reading at a grade-one level. My daughter developed a strong academic foundation and an increased level of self-confidence regarding her learning. Our experiences at SDA have been extremely positive.”
SDA, a public charter school, serving students from kindergarten through grade eight, is known in the local community and statewide for its outstanding academic programs. SDA has consistently been ranked amid the top 10 elementary and junior high schools in the state.
The success of SDA students is due to a visionary leader, Dr. Anjum Majeed, as well as dedicated faculty and staff, supportive parents and hardworking, diligent students.
SDA offers an accelerated curriculum, with students learning a minimum of one grade level ahead of the Arizona Department of Education Standards. The SDA kindergarten curriculum emphasizes two areas—language arts and mathematics.
The language arts curriculum focuses on phonemic awareness, reading fluency, reading comprehension, handwriting and grammar. At the end of the kindergarten year, students are reading fluently at the grade one level and writing complete sentences. They even are creating their own storybooks.
Number sense, addition and subtraction, fractions and patterns, as well as the basics of time and money, are components of the mathematics curriculum. During the kindergarten year, students master the concept of addition and subtraction and memorize math facts. In addition to laying a strong language arts and mathematics foundation, students develop other skills and attend weekly physical education, music and art classes.
By the end of the kindergarten year, SDA students are well prepared to continue with the accelerated curriculum as grade one students. The success of the kindergarten program is due in large part to the SDA Kindergarten Team.
The kindergarten teachers are Ms. Ford, Mrs. Haschke and Mrs. Redivo. Kindergarten aids and other school personnel support the kindergarten program, too. The teachers and staff foster the high academic and personal standards of the program in a nurturing environment.
It is a pleasure to have Mrs. Haschke on the SDA faculty. She is an expert in elementary education, with nearly two decades of experience. She is well known for her wonderfully creative centers, which reinforce concepts.
Mrs. Redivo joined the SDA faculty several years ago as a kindergarten and small group pull-out teacher. She taught grade one at SDA, and she easily transitioned into the role of a kindergarten teacher this year. Having worked in kindergarten, she understood the expectations at SDA and already knew many of the families.
The 2015 – 2016 school year marks Ms. Ford’s first year as a teacher with SDA. A kind and caring teacher, she works tirelessly to ensure her students are learning and mastering the concepts. The Kindergarten Team is passionate about educating children and being a special part of their educational experiences.
For more information regarding SDA, or to arrange a tour, please contact the front office at (480) 641-2640. Limited spaces are available for the 2016 – 2017 school year.