For general information about Kindergarten programs at Academy District 20, including the benefits of Kindergarten, the registration process, district boundaries, and the School Choice process, please visit the Academy District 20 Kindergarten page.
Kindergarten at AIES
Kindergarten is an all-day program that runs from 8:20 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. There is a morning recess, a snack break, and a similar break in the afternoon. Lunch is eaten at school in conjunction with a lunch recess. A short rest time follows lunch. We do not offer a half-day kindergarten program.
French Instruction
All AIES students in kindergarten through fifth grade participate in French specials. Developmentally appropriate activities include games, chants, songs, gestures and collaboration. See Specials for more.
Supports for Unique Needs
AIES is an ESL Magnet School and a Dyslexia Satellite School. MTSS helps address academic and behavioral needs. Special education staff and Certified Academic Language Practitioners provide individualized support, and reading specialists offer targeted interventions, Take Flight therapy and structured literacy.
The school counselor supports a caring environment through classroom lessons, groups, individual planning and responsive services. Kindergarten classrooms also have two instructional paraprofessionals providing instructional and behavioral support. See Student Support Services.
Staying Informed
Review Infinite Campus, ParentSquare and Wednesday Packets regularly. Administration sends “AIES Happenings” through ParentSquare each Monday. Teachers respond to email within 48 hours Monday through Friday; urgent same-day needs should go to the office at 719-234-4000. See Family Communication and Student Progress.
International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB-PYP)
The mission of the International Baccalaureate (IB) is to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. The core aspects of the IB curriculum we develop here at Academy International are learning through inquiry and transdisciplinary concept-based learning. By instilling students with the ten traits of the Learner Profile and empowering them to become agents of their own learning, our students will enter the world as compassionate, lifelong learners.
Kindergarten Standards
Following the Colorado Academic State Standards, Kindergarten will teach students the following skills:
Proper grammar
Increased attention span: listening skills, following directions and completing tasks
Phonological awareness: rhyming, listening for sounds, identifying several letters and corresponding sounds
Math skills: reviewing shapes and counting
Experience with fine motor activities: pencil hold, glue, scissors and markers
Cooperative behavior: waiting to talk, taking turns, sharing, working together, etc.
Self-help skills: buttoning, zipping, shoe tying, backpack, etc.