Welcome to Kindergarten!
A supportive and challenging environment for children to build independence and skills in a community of peers while guided by expert teachers.
At-A-Glance
- Teacher: Lindie Keaton
- Class Size: 12 students with 1 teacher
- Schedule: Full-day 8:30 - 3:00, Half-day 11:30 - 3:00
- Outdoor Time: Children have ample access to the outdoors and our expansive campus at multiple points throughout the day.
- Snack/Lunch: Snacks are provided in the morning and afternoon daily, lunch is brought from home.
- Classroom Focus: In addition to spending time building social, emotional, and academic readiness skills, Kindergartners spend time each week in their forest classroom, hiking in Glen Helen Nature Preserve, in physical education instruction and activities, including swimming at The Antioch College Wellness Center, and in specialized art, music, and science instruction
Lead Teacher:
Lindie Keaton
A place to Explore and Grow!
At the Antioch School, Kindergarten children have large blocks of time each day to explore the intentionally curated indoor and outdoor spaces at school. They build their ability to focus, self-correct, and self-direct, while choosing to explore materials and activities that build knowledge and skills across the curriculum.
In keeping with their development, children are also offered opportunities for teacher-led instruction multiple short periods each day.
Parents often share that they see growth in their child’s confidence, curiosity, and skills almost immediately.
An Interview with Lindie
I am a seasoned professional with 28+ years of teaching 5–8 year olds. I have spent 20 years as a Kindergarten teacher.
Both my grandmothers and my parents were teachers and even as a student, I had the ability to understand what other students were asking, even when the teachers didn’t.
I love to see the children’s a-ha moments and their continued growth toward independence.
I received an Outdoor Educator Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 and I was a Springfield City Schools Outstanding Teacher Award recipient in 1997.
Children love having Older Group swim partners. Even as adults, Kindergarten graduates remember swim partners. Lifelong bonds have been formed in the pool together.
A Day in the Life
Each day begins with children arriving into either the forest classroom or indoor classroom, where they are invited to choose activities that spark their curiosity. Much of the day is spent deeply engaged in play: climbing, digging, building, swinging, crafting, and experimenting with balance and movement using both classroom materials and natural elements.
Literacy and numeracy are a natural part of the daily rhythm, and can look like reading with an older student partner, counting classmates while preparing snack, and learning the sounds that make up each other’s names.
Imaginative play is a cornerstone of the day, with children creating elaborate worlds together as animals, fairies, families, superheroes, and performers. Children also write and perform plays, explore calendars, look for patterns, dictate stories, and share their ideas with peers.
While some moments are quiet and independent, most experiences are shared, offering daily practice in collaboration, negotiation, emotional awareness, and setting respectful boundaries.
The day closes with a gentle transition into the classroom library, where children enjoy reading, yoga, songs, and stories together. Dismissal is joyful and playful, as children head out to meet their families as a creature or character of their choosing, ending the day with imagination still very much alive.
We’re Always Learning!
In the Antioch School Kindergarten, children develop essential academic, social, and life skills through meaningful experiences.
Social & Emotional Skills
Children practice empathy, emotional regulation, and boundary-setting through collaborative play, group meetings, and shared problem-solving throughout the day.
Confidence, Resilience & Bravery
Through risk-taking in play, trying new physical challenges, and persisting with complex projects, children build confidence, patience, and resilience.
Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
Children learn to assess risk, make choices, and solve problems by planning activities independently and with peers, experimenting, and navigating real situations together.
Early Literacy & Math Skills
Reading, writing, and early math concepts are modeled daily and taught through activities like sand and light table writing, letter formation and sound awareness, pattern exploration, calendars, and meaningful daily routines.
Physical Development & Body Awareness
Strength, coordination, and balance grow through swimming, triking, hiking, unicycling, and active outdoor play.
Responsibility & Community Care
Children develop responsibility and empathy by helping prepare snack, caring for class pets, and participating in school jobs that support the community.
Self-Awareness & Reflection
One-on-one time with teachers, ample time to observe and process, and modeling from peers and adults help children reflect on their choices and growth.
Connection to Nature & Experiential Learning
Time outdoors and in nature supports curiosity, regulation, and hands-on learning while giving children space to explore, observe, and practice new skills.
We have loved the ways in which Lindie inspires our children, observes them, and meets them where they are socially, emotionally, and intellectually. She truly follows the child. She listens to them as colleagues, and presents them with options and critical discussions that help them take their ideas further. It’s infrequent that teachers truly hone this skill and use it to develop an acute awareness of how a child processes information. Lindie seems to really know how our children individually understand things.
Sally & Rob, parents of Antioch students
Who Thrives in This Classroom
This classroom welcomes many kinds of learners: children who observe first or jump right in, children learning to speak up or step back, and children who love nature, books, movement, and creative work. Each group is intentionally diverse, creating a rich learning community.
Placement is a collaborative process between families and teachers, with thoughtful conversations and opportunities to experience the classroom environment together.
If this classroom feels like a place where your child could grow and belong, we’d love to continue the conversation. Our admissions process is designed to be collaborative, supportive, and centered on your child. You can schedule a visit directly at the link below, or visit our “Contact” page for more details.