Welcome To Colette's Dragonfly Transitional Kindergarten 

Colette is SO excited to be teaching Transitional Kindergarten at NCSA!

Colette Sweeten is newly joining the NCSA this school year. She has over 20 years of experience working with students of all ages. As a recent graduate from Western Governors University, she holds a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, and an undergrad degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Hawaii. She has taught PreK, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade as well as many other arts-based, non-profit, after-school, and summer programs.

With other interests in small business development and technology, Colette has managed local businesses, event productions, and marketing campaigns. She played integral roles in the success of Overstock.com’s PR department, as well as the development of a Verizon store in Hawaii.  ‘All roads lead to home’ they say, and during those years she continued to pursue higher education to become a teacher.

Her passion lies in working with young students and observing their development. She believes in the power of play-based instruction, free choice, and encourages students to become self-motivated learners. She frequently collaborates with other play-based educators all over the country and hopes to travel internationally to observe more early education programs in the future.

Colette grew up in Utah, and has lived in Florida, Maui, and Kauai, and is happy to call Northern California her home. When not creating fun engaging activities for students, she enjoys spending time as a newlywed with her husband and their three dogs.  You can find her camping, singing in her garden, playing piano or violin, and cross stitching in the sunshine when she is not at school.

Being a part of NCSA and hosting young students in the Dragonfly classroom is a dream come true for Mrs. Sweeten who is excited to be a part of the team!

What is Transitional Kindergarten?

TK is the first of a two-year Kindergarten program which primarily focuses on developing the social-emotional skills and self-awareness of each student, so that they may enter into the Kindergarten year as self-directed and enthusiastic learners. The TK year includes an emphasis on oral language development, literacy immersion, and number sense, and it provides collaborative experiences that promote cooperation, self-confidence, self-regulation, and healthy attitudes about school and learning. Developing the confidence and vocabulary to operate within a community, fostering a love for new knowledge, and adjusting to the routine and expectations of a classroom setting, the Dragonfly year is about the social growth of the child, as much as it is about the academic growth. Nonetheless, a rich exposure and practice of foundational knowledge in language, math, science, and art will also be enjoyed through hands-on games, experiences, and activities. What an exciting and sweet year ahead!

Supply list: Click Here

Daily/Weekly Activities- To Name Just a Few:

• Gathering
• Songs & Poetry
• Nature & Garden
• Process Art
• Science/Sensory Exploration
• Pre-Math Skills/ Number Sense
• Pre-Literacy Skills/ Letter Sense
• Large & Fine Motor Development
• Imaginative Play
• Storytelling/Puppetry
• Music, Movement & Art Classes

Units of Study:

• Self & Community
• The Five Senses
• Family & Traditions
• Seasons
• Plant & Animal Life Cycles
• Forest Life
• The Water Cycle