CICS Bucktown -

At Distinctive Schools, we believe that a strong kindergarten experience lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning. At CICS Bucktown, Kindergarten Mentor Teacher Kaycee Hjerpe is leading the way in creating a welcoming, structured, and engaging learning environment for her students.

For many students, kindergarten is their first school experience, and Ms. Hjerpe prioritizes creating a space where they feel safe, valued, and excited to learn.  She dedicates the first month of school to practicing transitions, routines, and expectations, ensuring that students understand how to navigate their new environment with confidence.

"I spend a lot of time at the beginning of the year getting to know my students and sharing things about myself," Kaycee shares. "When kids see me sharing about myself, they feel more comfortable opening up, too." These small but meaningful interactions build trust and connection, making her classroom a true learning community.

Ms. Hjerpe knows that a great kindergarten experience is about fostering independence, social-emotional growth, and a love for learning just as much as it is about academics. She carefully structures each day to balance play-based learning, focused instruction, and movement. "Students need time to explore, make mistakes, and learn through trial-and-error. You can’t learn unless you try something!," says Ms. Hjerpe.

Through hands-on activities, students engage with academic content in meaningful ways. Math lessons include interactive materials like Eureka bins with different-sized shapes, while reading groups incorporate Play-Doh and letter games to encourage conversations about sounds and words. "Even when they don’t know how to use something yet, that’s okay—learning happens through doing," she says.

Her students start every morning with choice: they decide how they enter the classroom, whether a hug, high five, fist bump, or a simple hello. Ms. Hjerpe embraces student choice to help young learners take ownership of their education. Whether it’s selecting activities in reading groups, choosing books during independent reading time, or working through "learning menus" in math and literacy, her students have opportunities to engage with materials in ways that resonate with them. "When kids get to make choices in their learning, they’re more invested," she explains. "By providing multiple options, I allow them to pick what they’re in the mood for that day while still meeting learning goals."

For parents looking to help their children feel ready for school, Ms. Hjerpe suggests working on foundational skills like letter recognition, letter sounds, and numbers to 10. But most importantly, "read with your child every day," she says. "Reading together builds language skills, sparks curiosity, and fosters a love of learning that will last a lifetime."

With her warmth, expertise, and commitment to student growth, Ms. Hjerpe is shaping the kindergarten experience at CICS Bucktown into one where children thrive. Her classroom is a place where students feel safe, challenged, and eager to learn—everything a great kindergarten program should be.