Private Kindergarten

Kindergarten is a BIG deal for your child. Help them get the most from their experience with Tender Years. We offer private Kindergarten and Kindergarten Enrichment programs at our Camp Hill, Hershey, and Mechanicsburg centers.

As one of our Academy programs, Tender Years’ Kindergarten program is licensed by the PA Department of Education and taught by experienced, certified teachers. Here, your child will benefit from a curriculum that is designed not only to prepare them for success in First Grade, but to set them on a path that leads to success well beyond grade school.

As a parent, you are faced with many options for your child’s education. When selecting a Kindergarten program for your child, we would like you to know what makes Tender Years’ program different from the rest:

Tender Years follows a 1:12 ratio for our Kindergarten class.
Most public schools and other programs offer a 1:25 ratio for their Kindergarten class. This means that your child will receive more individualized attention from his/her teacher.

Before and after-school care is included!
This means that you will not need to worry about enrolling your child in a second program, or arrange transportation during the day.

We are rarely closed for inclement weather.
We are also open on most state holidays and public school in-service days for full-day care.

Your child can attend our Kindergarten as long as he/she turns 5 by September 30th.
Most schools in our area have an earlier cut-off date.

We also have the flexibility to offer our Kindergarten program to students who may miss the cutoff by a few weeks and do not want to repeat a year of Pre-K.
Those students can have the added benefit of spending a year in our Kindergarten, and then following with another year of Kindergarten in your school district.

We are a private Kindergarten, but we follow a public school curriculum and PA State Learning Standards.
Our school is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and our Kindergarten programs are taught by experienced teachers who hold a Bachelor’s degree and an active PA teaching certificate.

Mattie Robinson

“We have been delighted to find that Miss Justina’s lessons resonate with our son, Finn, well beyond the kindergarten classroom. While reading bedtime stories, he points out sight words. He excitedly reads signs when we sit in traffic, and our dinnertime discussions always seem to remind him of something he’s recently learned about a weekly topic, such as community workers, symbols, or even the stages of matter. We think Miss Justina inspires her students to be really excited about what they learn. Finn is truly happy to go to school each day. We could not have asked for a better beginning to his education.”

Mattie Robinson

Christina Patterson

“Our family has been with Tender Years for over 5 years and has enjoyed every aspect of the warm environment and structure they provide to their students and families. Our oldest son is currently in Tender Years (Mechanicsburg) Kindergarten program and we have seen him excel in all aspects of learning fundamentals and socialization. Their curriculum mimics those of surrounding school districts to ensure they are on the best path forward to enter elementary school (first grade) post Kindergarten graduation. The teachers have been fantastic at communication and progress reports and our son loves going to school to learn everyday. It is so fulfilling to have him come home, in excitement, and see his growth in reading, writing and mathematics. We could not be happier with the decision we made in sending our son to Tender Years (Mechanicsburg) Kindergarten program!”

Christina Patterson

Ramya Vaidyanathan

“Our family has been associated with Tender Years Mechanicsburg for the past 4 years. We have seen our youngest grow with them and mature into a smart, friendly, happy-to-go-to-school kid ever since. Their Kindergarten program is a blessing for parents like us who were confused when COVID struck. We are glad to have made the right choice since there were hardly any school closings and they made sure to keep the environment safe during this difficult time. The teachers are excellent and groom the kids very well for public school curriculum. She has become an excellent reader in just a few months since the start of Kindergarten. She made lots of new friends and loves her teachers. The teachers ensure that the kids get to have outside play time almost every day except during bad weather days. Best part is we as parents get to know what’s happening as part of photo/video sharing on the school app.”

Ramya Vaidyanathan

Jen Lalomio

“Tender Years’ Mechanicsburg Kindergarten is a top-notch program. We have been extremely pleased with the quality of the lessons, the hands-on projects, the teacher and student interaction, and the happiness of our daughter! Miss Lauren is an incredible teacher and very in-tune with her students. She provides assistance and challenges where needed! Highly recommended!”

Jen Lalomio

M.K.

“Tender Years has done an amazing job preparing our son for first grade! The teachers are wonderful providing us with constant feedback and make them feel secure and confident. The small class size is prefect and has contributed to their success as well. The children are challenged to achieve their full potential while maintaining a fun and loving environment. We are so grateful for our experience with Tender Years. We would also like to thank you for remaining open all through the COVID-19 pandemic. They kept my child safe and happy during a very challenging time. We really don’t know what we would have done without you providing care during these times. We feel an amazing level of trust and appreciation to all of you.”

M.K.

Kindergarten Curriculum

At Tender Years, our Kindergarten program curriculum is modeled after those in our local public schools, which are based on the Kindergarten State Standards. And because we coordinate our curriculum with the local school districts we serve, our students are well prepared for First Grade at their school.

ACE Customized Curriculum

We believe a “one size fits all” approach to education is less than ideal. Our exclusive ACE Customized Curriculum offers a robust, balanced educational experience designed to meet the specific needs of your child, your community, and your school district. Learn More...

Daily Information & Communication

Parents are included in the daily routine through the Tadpoles system. Every evening, families will receive a detailed account of the day through a Tadpoles email. Monthly classroom newsletters will be sent out by your child's teacher. And daily one-on-one communication with your teacher is invaluable! Feel free to ask your teacher about one on one conferences as needed.

Observations & Evaluations

Since our Kindergarten follows the regular school year, our program is divided into marking periods. Your child's progress will be monitored and shared with you with a report card each marking period, and regular opportunities for parent/teacher conferences.

Meals & Snacks

Tender Years provides a nutritious breakfast and afternoon snack. A menu for each is posted in the classrooms and can be found under the meals tab, which will give you an idea of the types of snack items that we will serve. If you would like to bring in a special snack for your child’s birthday, please communicate with your child’s teacher. For lunch, you may choose to pack a lunch, or purchase a hot lunch from our catering service for an additional cost. Menus are available to help you make your choices. When packing lunch, please note that we are not permitted to microwave food for the children. You may pack hot foods in a thermos, or pack items that are ready to eat. All items that require refrigeration must be labeled before putting them in the refrigerator. No glass bottles, please.

Daily Schedule

6:30am – 8:00am
Arrival/Free Play in opening room

8:00am – 8:30am
Arrival in Kindergarten room, Free Play

8:30am – 9:00am
Circle Time: includes jobs, songs, calendar, weather, Pledge of Allegiance, Focus Lesson, poems, and books

9:00am – 9:30am
Gross Motor exercise/Outdoor play

9:30am – 10:00am
Bathroom break and morning snack

10:00am – 10:30am
Language Lesson: includes letter of the week, vocabulary, word families, word wall, punctuation, and the morning message

10:30am – 11:00am
Math Lesson: includes counting skills, skip counting, addition and subtraction

11:00am – 12:00pm
Centers: includes computers and table activities

12:00pm – 12:30pm
Bathroom break, lunch

12:30pm – 1:30pm
Complete morning work

1:30pm – 2:30pm
Day 1: Social Studies
Day 2: Art
Day 3: Science
Day 4: Music
Day 5: Physical Education

2:30pm – 3:30pm
Bathroom break, free play

3:30pm – 4:00pm
Afternoon snack

4:00pm – 6:00pm
Outdoor play/free play in closing room

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