Preschool & Pre-K Program
Our Preschool program is for 3-4-year-old children. Students must be 3 years old by September 30th for the 3’s Preschool program, and 4 years old by September 30th for the 4’s Preschool program the year that they are entering.
Our program emphasizes concrete experiential learning using a set of goals and planned activities intertwined throughout the school day. In this way, the daily schedule, the availability and use of materials, transitions between activities and the way in which routine tasks of living are implemented matter greatly. Young children are guided and expected to learn through active and positive manipulation of the environment and concrete experiences that contribute to concept development.
The daily schedule is intended to provide a balance of activities with attention to the following dimension of scheduling:
- Daily outdoor play, weather permitting
- Alternating periods of quiet time and active play
- A balance of large muscle and small muscle activities is provided.
- Various small group or large group activities through most of the day
- A balance of child-initiated and staff-initiated activity is provided. The amount of time spent in staff-initiated, large group activity is limited.
Developmentally appropriate materials and equipment are selected for use within the classroom that support the goals of the program and allow students to foster positive self-concept, spiritual development, encourage children to think, reason, question, and experiment, develop social skills, encourage language development, enhance physical development and skills, encourage and demonstrate sound health, safety, and nutritional practices, encourage creative expression and appreciation for the arts and respect cultural diversity.
Additionally, routine tasks such as toileting, eating, dressing and sleeping are incorporated into the program as a means of furthering children’s learning, self-help and social skills. Through complimentary actions at home, parents assist and cooperate with teachers to make these tasks and the development of other independent skills a positive experience for children