A typical day in our

Pre-School Program

*The actual sequence of events my change to best meet the needs of the individual classroom
Text Box: Arrival/Small Muscle: Children arrive, hang up coats, bags, etc. and come to a table to work on fine motor tasks such as play-dough, puzzles, snipping, lacing, drawing, sorting, or manipulating blocks. We provide a blend of familiar and new activities and allow the students to define their own rules for their use. Limiting the students to only a few choices at this time helps maintain a sense of calm in our room which assists students with separation from parents and mental preparation for learning time. Time with Jesus: This is a favorite time of day! Children get to learn about God's love through text, song, craft and prayer. This is the time of day that parents tell us their child talks most about. How appropriate that their favorite time of day includes the Lord! Group Project: With the help of the teachers, the children complete a task that involves following directions and using fine motor skills. Don't be surprised if you can't quite make out what "it" is, it’s the process, not the product that matters when young children make things! Center Time: Many important skills are mastered during the "free-play" time. We do not set guidelines for the amount of time spent in each center allowing students to develop their own choice making skills. Center options may include housekeeping, tool time, activity table, imagination station, blocks, train table, or free art. Teachers assist and interact with students during this time. Clean up: Children and teachers put things back in their spots. This helps students learn responsibility for their environment. They are encouraged to check each area to ensure all items are properly put away. This time also builds teamwork skills as students help each other clean up to make sure we "beat the clock." Wash up for snack: Children line up at the door and are given a squirt of hand soap. They rub their hands together as we walk to the school bathroom and wash our hands. This trip down the hall to the bathroom exposes children to the rest of the school and helps them learn the "preciousness of others" as they remain quiet so other children who are precious can keep on learning. Snack: Snack is a special social time. We begin by inviting Jesus to be our guest through prayer. The students learn to hold quiet conversations with friends seated at the same table. Snack time provides another opportunity for students to practice responsibility as they clean up their space. Circle Time: During circle time, we count boys and girls, compare number of girls to number of boys, write numbers on the board, read a letter from the teacher, find the day of the week, sing the months of the year and the days of the week, make a pattern, count and recognize numbers, learn concepts about time (yesterday, today, tomorrow), sing songs and finger-plays, play learning games, and read a story. Whew! It's a lot to do but so much fun! Large Muscle Time: We go outside or to the gym to get those big muscles moving; sometimes we just hang out in the room and move to music! Please don't tell the students, but learning is always happening in our class, even when we are outside or dancing around. We practice our helping skills by assisting our friends with zippers, buttons, hats, and mittens. We also practice patience while waiting for an adult to assist us if our friends aren't successful. Students discover that the faster everyone gets ready, the more time we have to spend outside. Whether we are playing on the playground, in the gym or moving in the classroom, students receive lots of practice taking turns and challenging their own physical skills with climbing, jumping, throwing, catching and swinging. Departure: We meet back in the classroom to say good bye and see you next time. Jesus loves you and so do we! Communication: Frequent newsletters keeps parents informed of classroom happenings. Formal conferences are held twice a year to review student goals and parents are always welcome to bring questions to the teacher.

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