Our Program

PRE-SCHOOL:

2 Year Olds through Junior Kindergarten

Our main goal in teaching Pre-school children is to create experiences that encourage children to develop self-confidence and a joy of learning. This goal is pursued through a balance of individual and cooperative play and pre-academic learning. “Play is work” and “work is play” are our guidelines as we encourage children to think, reason and learn. We believe that very young children learn best when the curriculum is:

• Introduced in a secure and safe environment
• Geared to their developmental needs
• Designed to nurture their inner wisdom and passion for play
• Improvisational
• Based on sensory-motor learning
• Sequenced to ensure a natural evolution of skills
• Fostered to build a sense of community

The Pre-school curriculum includes: mathematics, language arts, social studies, science, Learning through Landscapes, Spanish (JK), art, drama, music, and library. In addition children enjoy “pre-academic” activities in the form of projects, games and construction – all of which establish cognitive learning.

The Pre-school program also offers a Vacation Program for parents who want to keep their children continually enrolled at school. Details about this program, and a fee schedule, are available on this website or by contacting the admissions office.

EVALUATION

Parent–teacher conferences are held in fall and midwinter. A brief written progress summary is provided at the conference. In addition to these meetings, we encourage regular contact between teachers and parents by email, telephone or in person. Portfolios, displays, exhibits and reports are used to give a picture of the whole child. Final written reports for each child are prepared by the teachers and sent to parents at the end of the school year.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

GRADES K, I, II, III, IV, AND V

We nurture elementary grade children by supporting their efforts to become independent and motivated learners. We encourage them to develop an awareness of their own abilities and to take responsibility for their educational progress. We teach children that they are their own best resource for growth and fulfillment. Research is encouraged using a range of media. Curriculum content is introduced through both sequential units and long-term thematic projects. We believe that children in the elementary grades learn best when the curriculum is:

• Geared to their developmental needs
• Designed to draw out their intelligence, abilities, talents, awareness and respect for one another and the community
• Interdisciplinary
• Connected to their lives
• Challenging them to take risks and develop resilience if they make mistakes
• Supportive of their individual learning styles
• Active, imaginative, demanding and fun
• Project-oriented and experiential
• Stimulating through provocative questions
• Responsive to the latest technologies that advance learning

The Elementary curriculum includes: mathematics, language arts, social studies, science, Learning through Landscapes, Spanish, art, music, drama, library and sports. Computer technology begins in Kindergarten and is integrated into all subject areas of the curriculum by Grade V. Research is encouraged using a range of media. Curriculum content is introduced through both sequential units and long-term thematic projects.

EVALUATION

Parent–teacher conferences are held in fall and midwinter. A brief written progress summary is provided at the conference. In addition to these meetings, we encourage regular contact between teachers and parents by email, telephone or in person. Standardized tests, given during the year, are used by our teachers as diagnostic tools, not as a comprehensive picture of a child’s knowledge. In lieu of formal grades, portfolios, displays, exhibits and reports are used to give a more accurate picture of the whole child. The School does not rank its students. Final written reports for each child are prepared by the teachers and sent to parents at the end of the school year.

OUR SCHOOL DAY

Pre-school students have half-day programs meeting three to five days a week. Our full-day Kindergarten provides a bridge to Grades I through V. We offer a Pre-school afternoon program for students in the Pre-school classes. An After-school Program is available for all students.