Our program

    Morning program

      Our daily program includes language arts, music, tactile and sensory exploration, lots of outdoor play, cooking and baking, and family style meals. Field trips are scheduled regularly to local nature destinations.

      All meals and snacks are provided and are made with organic ingredients.
      We respect the child's need for both nurturing and independence, quiet time and active play, time alone and time in group endeavors. There are opportunities for both structured and spontaneous play indoors and outside.

      We consider PLAY to be the leading preschool activity (during which most learning occurs): Mature intentional make-believe play is the foundation of self-regulation development in preschool. It creates conditions in which young children are able to act in a more mature way and use more mature mental functions. Children remember more, attend better, and have better self-regulation. This kind of play is the only classroom experience that naturally provides the three types of interactions which lead to self-regulation: regulation by others, regulation of others, and self-regulation.

      Not all play is created equal! Most children today do not engage in the kind of intentional make believe play that fosters self-regulation. Today's children spend more time being entertained-watching TV or playing video games. They learn to play soccer or go to art and music lessons. Many do not have long stretches of unstructured time where they go out into the back yard and play with neighborhood children of different ages who act as play mentors. Unlike twenty years ago, children come to preschool without knowing how to play in a way that will promote self-regulation. Without deliberate support by teachers providing opportunities to engage in mature play, many young children will not develop it on their own.

      Children also participate in enriching NON-PLAY ACTIVITIES, such as:

      • Games with rules (circle time games)
      • Productive activities (bread baking, acting out stories)
      • Pre academic activities (activities that introduce the concept of standards, like setting of the table for lunch [where number of chairs must correspond to numeber of cups to number of children], signing artwork with own names [needs to be recognizable to others], etc.)
      • Motor activities (walking trips, gardening, climbing play structure)

    Extended care program

      Extended care starts at 1pm and is available until 5:15pm. Quiet hours are from 1:30pm � 3pm. Children are tired after a day full of activities and we ask to minimize disturbance during quiet hours.

      After waking up from the nap, children eat snack and go outside to play or they may work on a project or play in the classroom depending on the weather.