Proud Smarties: A Sweet New Beginning
By Rebekah Kinney - Faculty
Our pre-K classroom is full of extra curiosity, growth, and joy this year! Darlington made the exciting decision to expand our pre-K program from 18 to 25 students, supported by three dedicated educators. This decision has been an incredible step forward. The daily learning experience has definitely been enriched for all of our young Proud Smarties!
One major goal of the expansion was to uphold our commitment to deeper, more flexible learning. Deciding on an open-classroom approach allowed us to create a rich environment where children can easily transition between collaborative play stations, whole-group gatherings, and focused small-group instruction. Having lead teachers Beth Smith (’87) and Bethany Pence, along with Assistant Teacher Kristy Garrett, working together in one classroom has truly elevated what can be accomplished.
“I love collaborating and making learning fun and memorable! It is even sweeter with more students, and it is a joy to teach alongside Bethany and Kristy and to work with our wonderful families,” said Beth. “Pre-K is a time of unbelievable growth in so many areas: social, emotional, and academic. I have always loved that our program is rooted in good teaching with many multi-sensory activities throughout the day. The children do not even think they are learning or doing hard things because they love it so much. Each moment of our day has meaning; from lining up in number order, to clapping out the syllables in their names, to finding ways to make the No. 3 with manipulatives, everything we do aims to connect learning to real-life application.”
Beyond the academic gains, the collaborative classroom setup has opened up incredible new possibilities and sparked significant social growth.
“Having more physical space has opened up so many new opportunities for our class!” said Bethany. “We are able to offer larger, more engaging centers where they can move, build, create, and work together. We especially love having space for bigger building activities and movement-based learning. The extra room allows the children to explore more freely and gives us the flexibility to create hands-on experiences that just weren’t possible before!”
Assistant Teacher Kristy Garrett has also loved watching how seamlessly the children settled into their expanded environment.
“I have loved seeing how quickly the class adjusted to the new space. They are comfortable, confident, and have really made it feel like their classroom,” said Kristy. “That confidence shows up in how the students interact with one another throughout the day. I love watching the students help each other. Whether they are sharing, cleaning up together, or helping a friend, it is sweet to see those friendships grow.”
Expanding our pre-K program is a true investment in long-term student success. Continuing to build such a strong academic and social foundation for our youngest learners will pay dividends for years to come. As the year unfolds, our team is most excited to continue guiding these young minds through those magical "lightbulb" moments, when a tough concept finally clicks, and a child’s face lights up with pure pride in what they’ve accomplished.
Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Pence, and Mrs. Garrett are eager to watch the kids build friendships, become more independent, and grow in confidence as learners, while also continuing to grow and create together as a team. So many possibilities lie ahead, and they cannot wait to see where this year takes them!
We are so proud of our Proud Smarties and deeply grateful for a community that supports forward-thinking learning!
