Exploration Time( centers): Students will participate in activities throughout the classroom that are infused with the unit goals and objectives. At the end of exploration time, the students will reflect and share what they did during exploration time.
Outdoor Adventure: Students will have multiple opportunities to play with large and small equipment and materials, incorporated into all playground areas. Additionally, staff facilitate group games and activities.
Mealtimes: Students will be provided with breakfast, lunch, and snack each day. We follow the USDA guidelines for family-style meals. Students learn table manners, expand communication and social skills, and self-help skills. Family-style meals encourage students to try a variety of foods.
Dream Time( rest time) Students will have the opportunity to rest each day. Each student has a dream bag that includes books, crayons, a pencil, etc. Quiet toys are also available for students to engage with if they do not sleep.
Music and Movement: Students are exposed to a variety of music and dance from different cultures to support an appreciation for different types of music and dance. Vocabulary and concepts related to music are embedded into music and movement breaks, transitions, and classroom activities.
Each classroom has a Certified Teacher and 1- 2 Teacher Assistants. Class sizes do not exceed 18, giving us a ratio of 1 to 6.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
All classroom environments are intentionally designed to support independence, development of executive function skills, high student engagement, and positive social relationships with peers and adults. The tables, chairs, sinks, and equipment are childsized and allow children to explore the classroom independently. Student artwork, shared brainstorming, documentation of daily creations, feelings charts / images, and questions to support higher-order thinking are displayed. Items are labeled to introduce the students to the importance of words. Labels are written in multiple languages that represent the languages spoken by students in the classroom. All areas of development are integrated into the curriculum. Families receive education home visits( Head Start) and family-staff conferences throughout the school year to develop and review individual plans and goals based on student outcome data.
WHAT IS MY CHILD LEARNING DURING EXPLORATION TIME WHEN THEY VISIT THE DIFFERENT INTEREST AREAS?
REVISED 2025 20 Family Handbook