A Strong Start: The CAVA TK Experience Builds Confidence, Connection, and a Love of Learning 

As families across California prepare for the start of the school year, many are just beginning their educational journey. For some of the youngest students, the journey begins in Transitional Kindergarten (TK), a foundational year that fosters confidence, introduces routines, and builds a strong bridge to kindergarten. 

At California Virtual Academies, TK is more than an introduction to school. It is an interactive, joyful experience rooted in connection and designed to meet young learners where they are. CAVA’s TK program helps students thrive through a combination of live virtual instruction, hands-on learning at home, and consistent support from credentialed teachers and engaged parents. 

What Does a Day in TK Look Like? 

TK students begin each day with a warm welcome during PawPride, a morning meeting where students greet each other, review class expectations, sing songs, and talk about how they are feeling. Teachers introduce the day’s topic and create a safe space to share. Social emotional learning is part of daily instruction, helping students build healthy habits, resilience, and kindness. 

Live instruction includes small group sessions in English language arts and math, along with opportunities for science, social studies, and enrichment each week. Students take regular breaks and have time to move, explore, and complete hands-on activities. These might include caterpillar lifecycle kits, themed crafts, or scavenger hunts based on the letter of the week. 

“It is not about sitting at a desk all day,” said Leslie Paragas, a CAVA TK teacher. “If a student needs to jump on a trampoline or fidget while listening, that is fine. What matters is that they are engaged, learning, and growing.” 

Built on Partnership 

At the heart of the program is the partnership between teachers and learning coaches. The learning coach supports the students during class time and guides them through at-home activities. This coach is often a parent, guardian, or grandparent who helps students log in, stay on task, and practice skills like handwriting and cutting. 

Jessica Wagoner, a parent and school leader whose son attended CAVA TK said this partnership was one of the program’s greatest strengths. “We worked as a team,” she said. “Miss Paragas sent worksheets every week. I printed them out, and Lucas learned to follow a schedule. He became more independent. He could mute and unmute himself and knew which worksheet to grab.” 

Jessica’s son Lucas, who began learning multiplication at age four, will skip kindergarten math and begin first grade instruction this fall. “That is one of the benefits of this learning model,” she said. “It allows for acceleration and individual support when a child is ready.” 

A Safe and Supportive Environment 

Many families choose CAVA for the personalized attention and safe learning environment it offers. For Roxanna Villicana, a mom in Yorba Linda, being part of her daughter’s education was a priority. “You are engaged in every aspect. The curriculum was a dream. It felt like we were learning together.” 

She also noted how quickly her daughter advanced. “By the end of the year, she was adding and subtracting. That was well beyond where my older daughter was at that age.” 

Preparing for Kindergarten and Beyond 

Transitional Kindergarten gives students a head start. “We expect students to come in knowing nothing,” said Leslie Paragas, CAVA TK teacher. “By the end of TK, they are ready for kindergarten. They have seen letters, numbers, and classroom routines. They are more confident and better prepared.” 

Teacher Truc Ferrer agrees. “My four-year-olds learn how to use their mouse, draw digitally, turn on their microphones, and participate in class,” she said. “They build communication skills and independence. Most of all, they learn to try their best and cheer for their classmates.” 

CAVA’s youngest students begin their education in a safe and encouraging space through engaging lessons, defined routines, and dedicated support. As one student told her mom after class, “It does not have to be perfect. You just have to try your best.”