Preschool Program
4 Classrooms — 12 Teachers — 19 Children per Classroom (ages 3 - 5)
Preschool aged children learn best through experimentation, independent play, building, and engaging in games and projects that they themselves find attractive and interesting. Through their play and social interactions, children build concepts and learn to express their feelings in effective and appropriate ways. Our Preschool teachers are keeping a watchful eye on the decisions and actions children are taking throughout their periods of free choice, teachers assume many roles—observer, facilitator, guide, leader and, at times, playmate.
The Daily Schedule
Structure and routine create a predictable rhythm to the day:
A warm greeting
Alternating periods of free play and free choice, both inside and outdoors
A small group time* with peers of a similar age
Scheduled bathroom visits for all children, whether they
have mastered the use of the toilet or notA healthful snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon
Circle gatherings* with the whole group
Lunch time teachings
*Small and large group gathering incorporate stories, music, movement, drama, walks, sharing, compliments and appreciations, and curriculum-related trips.
The Program
Our teachers maintain a balanced curriculum, one that doesn’t overemphasize a particular area of development at the expense of others. All arenas of early childhood development — social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and aesthetic — have a valued place in the planning and implementation of our daily program. That said, a child’s socio-emotional development is the underpinning for all other areas, and as such, we place great value upon it. As changes in the children’s daily lives occur, modifications to the activities and conversations are made to incorporate these significant events in their learning.
COMMUNICATION
Communication between teachers and parents occurs in a variety of planned and unplanned ways—conversations, notes, newsletters, and occasional emails and phone calls all help us to keep lines of communication open and serve teachers in understanding each child’s unique needs.