Early Childhood | JPK, PK & SPK

Junior PreKindergarten is specifically designed to meet the developmental needs of three year olds. Exploration of the world and fostering a love of learning while developing social skills form the core of our Junior PreKindergarten program. Teachers provide nurturing environments with open-ended materials and limitless opportunities for creativity that encourage every child to be curious, responsible, and happy. Our program meets the needs of our youngest students while challenging them appropriately. 

 

To ensure an emergent and project-based curriculum, teachers create sophisticated units based on the children’s enthusiasm for a topic. These project-based units are in-depth and incorporate language, literacy, math, communication, motor, and social skills, allowing children to think deeply and make connections. All the while, they practice making friends, working together, and being part of a classroom community. Children are more engaged when they are learning about something that interests them; emergent curriculum allows them to do just that. Additionally, through emergent curriculum, children discover that their ideas are valuable and powerful. 

 

The JPK day is from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Each day, the children have time to explore on their own during Choice Time and time to learn together as a group during Morning Meeting and Story Time. The children have Recess, Snack, and a Special each day. Their Specials are Art, Yoga, Music, P.E., and Library. 

In JPK, students are encouraged to use words to communicate their feelings, needs, and ideas. An appreciation of language is developed through books, poems, songs, and plays. Activities that promote language (dramatic play, meeting, snack, choice, and storytime) are included in our daily schedule. Listening skills are strengthened by attending to directions, participating in read-alouds, and group discussions. Students practice rhyming, sequencing, and predicting during storytime and while playing games. Upper case letters, name recognition, and letter formation are introduced through the Handwriting Without Tears program. In JPK, children begin to understand that printed words have meaning as we read the morning message and charts connected to our emergent curriculum.

Students in JPK use the Innovation Center and technology if and when it enhances their curriculum. Much, if not all of the day, is intentionally “screen free,” however, we are always prepared to use technology where it amplifies a project. For example, if the class is studying trains, they may Zoom with an engineer to learn how trains work, or they may visit the Innovation Center to learn how to make wheels for a train they are building in the classroom. 

Our PreKindergarten program is designed to meet the developmental needs of four year olds. Exploration of the world at a personalized pace, fostering a love for learning, developing social skills and kindergarten readiness form the core of our PreKindergarten program. Teachers provide nurturing environments, open ended materials, and limitless opportunities for creativity;  encouraging every child to be curious, responsible, and happy. Students finish PK fully prepared to go onto either the SPK or Kindergarten program, a decision made in collaboration with the teachers and families. 

 

The curriculum is emergent and project based. Teachers create sophisticated units based on the children’s enthusiasm for a topic. These project based units are in depth and incorporate language, literacy, math, communication, motor, and social skills, allowing children to think deeply and make connections. All the while, they practice making friends, working together, and being part of a classroom community. Children are more engaged when they are learning about something that interests them; emergent curriculum allows them to do just that. Additionally, through emergent curriculum, children discover that their ideas are valuable and powerful. 

 

The PreK day is from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.. Each day there are times for whole class, individual, and small  group learning. The children have Snack, Recess, Lunch, and a Special each day. Their Specials are Art, Yoga, Music, P.E., and Library.

Before children learn to read print, they must have an awareness of sound. In PK, students develop phonological awareness, which is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in spoken language. Language and literacy skills of PK students are strengthened through activities such as listening to, reading, and acting out stories and poems. Children are exposed to print throughout their day by writing their own stories using pictures and “inventive” spelling, dictating stories to a teacher, and reading charts and class books. They also participate in dramatic play, Show and Tell, morning meeting, and other experiences that require verbal communication. 

 

Additionally, PK students explore the elements of early literacy. Print awareness, sense of story, appreciation for literature, and an understanding of the various uses of the written word are all important components. Students receive instruction in correct uppercase letter formation through the Handwriting Without Tears program. Students learn letter names and letter-sound associations as they recognize them in words that are meaningful to them.

The math program in PK engages students in hands-on experiences and explorations. Students are exposed to a variety of concepts in developmentally appropriate activities that are built into routines and teacher directed small group lessons. Literacy and discussions are integrated into the Math program. Some of the Math concepts explored in PK include sorting by various attributes, counting and developing number sense, recognizing and creating patterns, and developing spatial relationships. Children also explore data collection through charts and graphs that are connected to their project based units. One of the many ways the children learn measuring is through cooking throughout the year. 

Students in PK use the Innovation Center and technology if and when it enhances their curriculum. Much, if not all of the day, is intentionally “screen free,” however, we are always prepared to use technology where it amplifies a project. For example, if the class is studying babies, they may Zoom with a baby and the baby’s parents to learn all about what babies do, or they may visit the Innovation Center to see what tools and supplies are needed to make a crib.

Our Senior PreKindergarten program is designed to meet the developmental needs of four and five year olds. Exploration of the world at a personalized pace, fostering a love for learning, developing social skills and kindergarten readiness form the core of our Senior PreKindergarten program. Teachers provide nurturing environments, open ended materials and limitless opportunities for creativity; encouraging every child to be curious, responsible and happy. Students complete the SPK program fully prepared for their Kindergarten year. 

 

The curriculum is emergent and project based. Teachers create sophisticated units based on the children’s enthusiasm for a topic. These project based units are in depth and incorporate language, literacy, math, communication, motor, and social skills, allowing children to think deeply and make connections. All the while, they practice making friends, working together, and being part of a classroom community. Children are more engaged when they are learning about something that interests them; emergent curriculum allows them to do just that. Additionally, through emergent curriculum, children discover that their ideas are valuable and powerful. 

 

The SPK day is from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Each day there are times for whole class, individual, and small  group learning.  The children have Snack, Recess, Lunch, and a Special each day. Their Specials are Art, Yoga, Music, P.E., and Library.

Before children learn to read print, they must have an awareness of sound. In SPK, students develop phonological awareness, which is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in spoken language. Language and literacy skills of SPK students are strengthened through activities such as listening to, reading, and acting out stories and poems. Children are exposed to print throughout their day by writing their own stories using pictures and “inventive” spelling, dictating stories to a teacher and reading charts and class books. They also participate in dramatic play, Show and Tell, morning meeting, and other experiences that require verbal communication. 

 

Additionally, SPK students explore the elements of early literacy. Print awareness, sense of story, appreciation for literature, and an understanding of the various uses of the written word are all important components. Students receive instruction in correct uppercase letter formation through the Handwriting Without Tears program. Students learn letter names and letter-sound associations as they recognize them in words that are meaningful to them.

The math program in SPK engages students in hands-on experiences and explorations. Students are exposed to a variety of concepts in developmentally appropriate activities presented in both daily SPK routines and teacher directed small and full group lessons. Literacy and discussions are integrated into the Math program as they explore concepts including sorting by various attributes, counting and developing number sense, recognizing and creating patterns, and spatial relationships. Children also explore data collection through charts and graphs that are connected to their project-based units. One of the many ways the children learn to measure is through cooking throughout the year. 

Students in SPK use the Innovation Center and technology if and when it enhances their curriculum. Much, if not all of the day, is intentionally “screen free,” however, we are always prepared to use technology where it amplifies a project. For example, if the class is studying the ocean, they may Zoom with an oceanographer who can answer their questions about the ocean, or visit the Innovation Center to see what materials they can use to make an ocean in their classroom.