Classrooms

Primary

Giddens School's mission-appropriate curriculum in grades K-5 provides both a nurturing environment and powerful learning opportunities through consistent and creative instruction in reading, writing, math, and integrated studies. Our commitment to research- based instruction and materials, alignment, social responsibility and collaboration affords students and staff a strong learning community which is ever growing! 

Small class size affords our students the time and direct instruction they need to excel here and then at any independent or public middle school in Seattle. Our teachers enjoy the time they have to interact frequently with each student in class every day.

Multi-Age Classes speak well to our mission. At Giddens we combine Kindergarten with First Grade, Second and Third Grades are together, and Fourth and Fifth Grades are together. In this configuration, we find that children have great opportunities to lead, to learn from peers, and to move a the pace that best attends to their needs in each subject area. Children are still assessed by grade level standards, which we always strive to exceed.

Preschool & Pre-Kindergarten

Preschool
Children in the Giddens Preschool experience the wonder of others and the love of exploration as they begin to have a greater understanding of themselves. Our Preschool classes are driven by content which emerges from our school-wide theme, the children’s interests, needs, and curiosity! Giddens teachers are attuned to all aspects of each child: social emotional growth, gross and fine motor skills, identity of self, and the ability to make connections with the world. All of our Preschool children receive specialist time in music, Spanish and library in addition to all of the units covered in class.

Our Preschool classes accept children beginning at 2.9 years old.

Pre-Kindergarten
Our Pre-Kindergarten children are a wonderfully happy, curious and social group of students! They inhabit that lovely space between the world of Preschool and Kindergarten, and so have specific needs and goals that differ from each other. Our Pre-Kindergarten classes provide a strong year for children to learn about some of the higher expectations that await them in Kindergarten academically, while providing them with the time that they need to adapt socially and emotionally to a day which involves small group reading and writing times, math instruction, music, Spanish, science, library, P.E. and, of course, play time. We believe that the combination of intentional learning times and free time to digest and run together forms the balanced foundation for our Pre-Kindergarten students and prepares them for Kindergarten.

Children in Pre-Kindergarten classes usually turn five years old sometime after September.