Our Program
Nursery
The nursery program is a bilingual program established to introduce young children to the English language and meet the young child’s needs for effective communication. Instructions and concepts are taught in both English and Spanish with more emphasis on
English as the year progresses. Songs with repetition, finger plays, and group games are
taught primarily in English, while more complicated stories and discussions
between teacher and student are conducted in Spanish. Students express ideas in
complete sentences in their native language, use isolated vocabulary in English, and
answer simple yes or no questions in English, if English is a second language.
Close bonds between the nursery teacher, teacher assistant, and students are
encouraged as well as a strong home-school connection. Teachers help children feel comfortable in a learning environment with other children and participate in associative and cooperative play. Students are guided in conflict resolution.
Much attention is given to our student’s fine motor development. Children use pegboards, string beads and pasta, pour liquids, build with blocks, do puzzles, and use different types of art materials daily. They are taught to hold art tools correctly and learn independence by practicing self-care skills such as using the bathroom, washing hands, buttoning, and zippering. Students are exposed to print in different forms and encouraged to play at reading and writing. Mathematical and science concepts are addressed through an attitude of exploration, questioning, and problem solving.
Pre-Kinder
Pre-kinder students participate in an English immersion program. Group activities, stories, songs, games, and the introduction to the day’s activities are all conducted in
English. Children learn to understand simple stories and commands in English and to respond to simple questions. Although students continue to communicate with peers in their native language, interactions with teachers in English are encouraged.
Our students are given an environment rich in print and in opportunities to draw and experiment with letters. They are taught the different parts of a story, helped to create their own books, and pushed to experiment with writing. Students’attempts at written expression are celebrated.
Pre-kinder places much emphasis on exploration to teach students mathematical concepts such as spatial relationships, classification, patterning, one-to-one correspondence, ordering, and numeration. Students are helped to understand relationships that occur in math, preparing them for abstract math that requires critical thinking and problem solving.
Students in pre-kinder also experiment with many science concepts such as mixing colors, making play dough, and planting in our vegetable garden. Students observe and record weather conditions, learn about different foods and animals, and are taught to recycle.
Social studies is a very important aspect of our pre-kinder program. Our students are supported in becoming more independent and responsible. They learn to get along with classmates and to follow classroom rules and routines. Children are exposed to values and introduced to different cultures through literature, celebrations, songs, and games.
Kindergarten
Communication is a primary goal for our kinder students. Kinder students begin to use
English vocabulary spontaneously more and more with classmates and teachers. They are taught to write both upper and lower case letters, and match letter names to their sounds. Children write messages to accompany drawings and reading is introduced as students read back original pieces or stories they’ve composed. Children leave kindergarten as motivated language learners, an asset that helps them in elementary school.
Kinder students work with mathematical concepts previously seen in pre-kinder, but at a more advanced level and they also begin to study addition while working with numbers at the symbolic level. Children continue to explore these concepts using objects and tools called manipulatives.
Science in kindergarten is exploratory based. In past years, students have studied such topics as: animals, oceans, the human body, volcanoes, and gardening. They also continue to learn to recycle, separate, and reuse materials.
In kindergarten, students are asked to accept more responsibility for their actions and to demonstrate more independence. The classroom environment is designed to facilitate these behaviors. Students are asked to help in the classroom and respect others. Time is dedicated to talking with students about their new achievements, friendships, and the importance of being a tolerant and responsible student.
Multiage Classrooms
Early childhood has had multiage classrooms since 2006 combining two grade levels as an option for some students. We strongly believe that both students and teachers can benefit from an environment that allows children of different ages to interact and share learning experiences.
Back to Top
|