OUR CLASSES
Classes run from September through May offering morning sessions (9:00-11:30) and afternoon sessions (12:30-3:00) that range from 1 to 5 days per week depending on the child's age.
- Parent/Toddler Class
The Parent/Toddler program is for children who are between the ages of 19 months ans 2 1/2 years old. This class meets one day a week, and children are accompanied bt an adult. Toddlers have the oppportunity to explore in a peer group setting under the guidance of a teacher. The program uses play as a mechanism for social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development. Toddlers will be offered a wide variety of age-appropriate materials to explore within the classroom. Adults attending the class enjoy an atmosphere of. nuturing support with the teacher and other parents and caregivers, and often exchange experiences, ideas, and parenting practices.
- Older 2-Year-Olds/Young 3-Year-Olds T/H
Children must be 2 years 7 months by September 6th. This class offers children the opportunity to attend school independently. The emphasis is on autonomy, problem solving, sharing, and social skills that lead to becoming part of a collaborative group. The children learn through play and hands-on exploration of their environment and materials available in the classroom and throughout the school. We provide a language-rich environment by exposing children to varied volcabulary through games, stories, conversations with teachers and peers. The children may choose to explore various art media, by participating in process oriented, open ended art activities, and engage in music and movement ssessions with our music teachers.
- Older 3-Year-Olds/Young 4-Year-Olds M/W/F
The 3-year-olds continue to grow socially as they become more actively involved in cooperative and socio-dramatic play with peers, and within a group, offering the opportunity to problem solve. Language, vocabulary, and literacy are fostered through rich experiences including storytelling with books, songs, puppetry, conversations, and small group discussions. Math and science are introduced through naturalistic hands-on play. Children will have the opportunity to explore many types of art media and are offered ooportunities to create two and three dimensional open-ended art projeccts, participate in investigative inquiries with our science teacher and Matt's Maker Space facilitators, and engage in music and movement sessiona with our music teachers.
- 4 and 5-Year-Olds M-H or T-F
The focus of the 4 and 5-year-old program is on the development of self-initiative and encouragement of critical thinking skills, the development of appropriate independence, and the exploration of topics and expanding knowledge about subjects and themes that are of interest to the children. Children participate and learn through more complex and creative socio-dramatic play. Language and early literacy skills are encouraged through books, classroom discussions, and exposure to written words. This includes dictation of stories, job charts, labeling of items within the classroom, and writing simple messages. The math and science curriculum expands as children explore, manipulate, and organize concrete objects. Children will have the opportunity to measure, compare, balance, and classify while building with unit blocks and other materials. During science, children learn to make predictions and test their ideas. Children's knowledge of their environment will be expanded as they explore outside on the playground and in Bird Park. The children will also spend time using a variety of materials in our Matt's Maker Space engaging in science, technology, engineering, arts, amd math (STEAM) through experiential and hands-on learning.
- 5-Day Transitional Pre-K Class M-F
Our 5-day transitional preschool class is designed for children who meet the age requirements for elementary school kindergarten, but who would benefit developmentally from an additional year in preschool. When this is the case, families may choose our transitional class to gain the pivotal skills which are the foundation to successful learning in kindergarten and beyond. Our transition class will continue to support the development of the whole child, which includes the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development of children. In our pre-k class, children will have the opportunity to move ahead academically, while giving them an extra tear for social growth while participating in appropriately challenging activities that will lead to the maturity, confidence, and skills necessary to succeed in elementary school kindergarten.
- Kindergarten Explorations M/W or T/H
Morning Kindergarteners extend their learning two afternoons a week by exploring exciting themes of interest through hands-on projects and activities designed ton encourage children to make connections between people, places, and events. The daily schedule will include opportunities for kindergarten students to play and learn about their world through projects, and outside explorations in Bird Park and on our playground, weather permitting.
