Enhancements and upgrades in Chilton House for the 2023-2024 academic year include the addition of a brand new kindergarten classroom, a new music room, six new faculty members, formal implementation of the Fundations literacy program for kindergarten, expansion of our El Estudio program, the continuation of Seedlings and our Partnership Series. We are pleased to be offering multiple opportunities over the course of the year for families to join their children on campus for authentic learning experiences.
Programmatic Enhancements for Students
SPACIOUS MUSIC ROOM: A new music classroom took over the former location of our Admissions Office, which is easily accessible for our Chilton House and Little School students. The space features plenty of room for active and joyful music instruction with large window views of the campus’ animal and plant life.
EXPANSION OF EL ESTUDIO: Our innovative hybrid foreign language and visual arts program now includes classes for our kindergarten students.
NEW KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM: In response to growing community interest, a third kindergarten classroom was constructed in the former location of our music room over the summer to welcome more students into our innovative program. The classroom has large windows, access to the kindergarten patio, and a spacious children’s bathroom.
FUNDATIONS: A multi-sensory and systematic phonics and reading program has been implemented for our kindergarteners, with our 3s/4s students integrating some Fundations skill-building tools into their daily instruction.
Programmatic Enhancements for Families
CHILTON HOUSE VISITING DAYS
This allows for more opportunities for families to experience authentic learning in the classroom with their children and to deepen their understanding of how powerful learning in our division prepares their children to be lifelong learners.
The Partnership Series
To strengthen the school-family partnership, Chilton House is continuing “The Partnership Series,” a monthly in-person opportunity for families to learn from one another about topics that they face as caregivers of young children.
The Science of Reading
In Chilton House, we focus on the science of reading, which emphasizes the importance of background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, literacy knowledge, phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition.
To ensure that our youngest learners are building skills in these areas, we are using three tools to further enhance the way our kindergarteners build foundational reading skills:
- Fundations: Building phonemic awareness as a tool for decoding
- Geodes: Resource for decodable readers
- Language Arts Program
STRENGTHENING OUR CONNECTION
During Family-Teacher Conferences and in our winter and spring digital portfolios, we share observational data with families that speak to student growth in all developmental domains.
Our division offers opportunities for families to spend time on campus for family events and in the classroom to experience authentic learning, including culminating events such as an El Estudio art exhibit and unit-of-study celebrations.
In our monthly Partnership Series, we offer families an opportunity to candidly share with fellow parents about relevant topics around early childhood development, parenting, setting limits with children, and more.
Our Seedlings program, a weekly 60-minute toddler and caregiver program that helps acclimate young children to a school environment, continues to be successful in showcasing our 2s program to prospective parents.
We see mentorship as a powerful tool for promoting personal growth in all people. In Chilton House, more veteran teachers mentor newer teachers in our Associate Teacher mentor program, ensuring that our new faculty experience the kind of support and mutual respect that yields professional growth.
Our Fabulous Faculty
STUDENT SUCCESS TEAM
This newly created team is comprised of developmental specialists and faculty who promote success and growth in each student.
LIFELONG LEARNERS
Our faculty continue to pursue their own education with Julie Silverman earning her M.A. in Early Childhood Education in 2023, and Michelle Margolin beginning her master’s program in Special Education.
CHANGING ROLES
Margot Wilsterman, hired as an associate teacher in 2021, became a head teacher for the 2023-2024 school year.
FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE
Carissa Garcia was invited, along with other EMS faculty, to visit Korea over the summer and expand her knowledge of the culture and language.
ADDED RESPONSIBILITIES
Other Chilton House faculty have taken on additional duties on top of their teaching roles: Victoria Greenway, El Estudio teacher; Kayla Cruz, After Care coordinator; Julie Silverman, associate teacher mentor; Theresa Schneider, kindergarten science teacher; Chelsey Noyes, Seedlings teacher.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR VISION AND GOALS FOR THE FUTURE OF EMS
Important 2023–2024 State of the School topics include updates from Little School and Morrow House, as well as Advancement, Auxiliary Programs, Communications and Marketing, Enrollment, Facilities and Operations, Finances, and Community Life, Equity, and Belonging.
