Learning Blooms in Kindergarten at Achievement First

Kindergarten is a German word that translates to “children’s garden” and reflects the idea that young learners need to be cared for and nurtured in order to grow. At Achievement First, this nurturing approach translates to students making serious academic and social growth in their first year of formal schooling.  

That’s been the case for Karla Saldana, a kindergartner at Achievement First Bushwick Elementary School.  

Karla entered kindergarten with limited literacy skills. She was also the type of student who would cry from simple setbacks such as not finishing an activity or being given gentle feedback like being reminded to write your name with a capital letter. 

That was September. Today, only six months later, Karla is a grade-level reader. She loves books. She has so much enthusiasm that whenever her teacher, Ms. Saab, hangs up a poster summarizing the previous week’s lesson, she runs to it and exclaims “that’s what we learned last week!”  

More importantly, she can persevere. When she makes a mistake, she takes a deep breath and repeats what Ms. Saab taught her: “mistakes help us learn.”  

Karla’s mom, Rose, attributes this progress to the high standards set by the adults in the building.

“I believe what makes this school special is its professionalism, the variety of teaching methods, and its advanced academic content. There are also clear expectations that both students and parents must follow, which is why I always recommend the school to family and friends,” said Rose. 

These high standards are part of the DNA of the school, according to school leader Courtney Saretzky. Structures are put in place to ensure all students are capable of achieving their reading benchmarks. In a school with 515 students, there are six reading interventionists and two multilingual learner specialists. Thanks to this level of staffing, within the first six weeks of school, students who are behind are identified and provided additional support.  

The other reason the term “children’s garden” has lasted is that it’s a reminder that fun activities are a critical part of how kindergartners learn.   

“Our routines, procedures, spirit days, field trips, and enrichment activities all help accelerate a young learner’s growth. We have really talented teachers who know their content and can make lessons exciting.  We strive to provide a nice balance of structure and rigor paired with warmth, love and joy,” said Principal Saretzky.  

Ms. Saretzky is the kind of leader who hosts monthly pizza parties for classrooms as a reward for exemplary behavior or strong attendance. But she doesn’t just hand out pizza. She becomes the pizza lady. 

This rigorous yet playful spirit is also what makes Karla’s teacher, Ms. Saab, so special. It helps that she’s a veteran teacher who previously taught Karla’s brother. She also benefits from being a native Spanish speaker, which means she can more easily build relationships with moms like Rose who have limited English.  

It’s clear that Karla is not only ready to be a reader, but ready to be a leader. During a lesson on President’s Day, after Ms. Saab showed Karla pictures of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, Karla shot her hand up and asked “can’t a woman be President?” 

Ms. Saab smiled. 

“Of course!”  

At AF, teachers inspire students to dream big. Really big.  

Click here to learn more about enrolling your child at AF.