Our School has a traditional curriculum based on what has seemed appropriate for the ages of the children, the season of the year, the holidays of our culture and activities which have worked for us in timing and content. The following is not intended to be all inclusive, but a general guide.

Letter and number recognition is a part of every activity and experience in our classrooms. We advocate an environment rich in opportunities for speaking, listening and also rich in print—where children are given opportunities to make sense out of print and to express their thoughts both orally and in print. In addition, the children play with many manipulative toys and materials that are used in teaching recognition of letters and numbers.

Fall Curriculum: September - November

Units: Socio/Emotional Adjustment to School Positive Separation from Parent: Gradual adaptation to the new school environment. Understanding and accepting the daily schedule: Arrival: Outdoor Play, Line-up, Indoors: wash hands, toilet, Circle Time, Self-Selection, Clean-up, Wash hands, Snack, Music, Fingerplays, Poems, Story, Dismissal. Social Skills: Help children learn to share equipment, experiences, adults and other children. Help children discover the pleasures of friendship. Foster cooperation and compromise. Development of empathy Learning to be generous Understanding that everyone has rights that must be respected.

Summer/Autumn: Seasons change and have names. Social Studies: Clothes we wear are different. Socio/Emotional: Enhance feelings of competency by developing self-help skills: taking off and putting on a jacket, identifying one’s cubby and outer clothes. Science: Observe leaf changes, acorns, twigs. Discover leaves are different. Collect and sort leaves. Cut an apple in half and see the “Star” and seeds. Art: Create a nature collage; Impressionistic sponge painting: orange, green, yellow and red.

Halloween and Thanksgiving Celebrations: Activities: Costume parade for Halloween—emphasis is placed on the separation of reality and fantasy. Carve a jack-o-lantern. Halloween color collages, printing, marble painting. Cooking: Cranberry relish.

Some of the books we will read: Friends, The Big Red Barn, Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Picking Apples and Pumpkins, Clifford’s First Thanksgiving.

Music and Fingerplays: The Little Red Box, Grey Squirrel, The Acorn Song, Five Little Pumpkins, Flive Little Leaves Up In A Tree, Pretty November. Introduction to Rhythm Instruments.