This page was last update 9/28/05
Preschool Program
There are two preschool classrooms, the Grizzly Bears
and Sunny Bears. Both classrooms offer a wide variety of activities. Children
start their day with a healthy breakfast, a story and time to exercise outdoors.
By 9:00am most children have arrived and are ready to start their preschool
activities.
At 9:15am, the children go inside to their homeroom class where they participate
in a wide variety of activities. Our daily schedule changes
throughout the year to accommodate weather changes.
Our music activities may include using rhythm sticks,
or dancing with musical instruments, Pom Poms, or scarves. Teachers use
Circle time to develop language
skills. Children discuss issues of the day, what they
are learning and what they will be learning about. Children also like to talk
about things that are important to them such as upcoming events at home they are
looking forward to doing. Circle time may also be used to
focus on number and letter recognition.
Our classroom are set up with centers. Children may explore
these centers (blocks, dramatic play, writing, manipulative toys, library, art
and etc...) during their free choice time. Snack is set out so
that children who are hungry may wash their hands and sit at the table for
snack.
Once their projects are done, the teacher reads a story as children prepare to
go outside. Children wear rubber boots and coats outside in the fall, winter and
spring.
Outdoor experiences are vitally important to an early childhood program.
Children gain practice in a wide variety of skills:
Large Motor: climbing, biking, pushing, pulling, running, jumping, skipping and etc…
Fine motor: grasping, pick up toys, twigs, leaves, and rocks.
Social/Emotional: interacting through creating and playing games, learning to take turns, following rules and learning how to treat their friends.
Cognitive: exploring how things work, counting toys when
putting them away and problem solving.
Language: talking to their friends about issues that are important to them,
learning how tell other children how they feel.
Science: exploring weather, nature and critters.
One of the
most popular activities of the day is Lunch Time. After a busy morning, wash their hands for lunch and sit at
the lunch table. We serve our lunch “family style.” Children learn appropriate
table manners, serve themselves and learn how to speak appropriately at the
table. Once lunch is over, children pick up after themselves, potty, wash hands. Children may look at books before they
finally go to sleep for Nap Time.
The afternoon schedule is far less formal. Children eat snack and choose quiet
activities to do until everyone is ready to go outside. On cold and rainy days
the children may play outside for only a short period of time. In that case the
centers will be open for free choice. Other activities may include group
projects or games.
WHAT MAKES OUR PROGRAM SPECIAL
Health and Hygiene
: Brown Bear Educare provides nutritional meals following the most current USDA Food Program standards.Meals: We provide hot lunch to the children on a daily basis using a 4-week rotational menu that has been approved by a nutritionist. The children eat lunch in a "family style" manor. We give children the opportunity to learn proper eating habits, acceptable table manors including naming, passing, and serving food. They also learn appropriate table discussions.
Tumbling Tots: Children 2-5 can sign their children up for an optional weekly program called Tumbling Tots. Coach Jen brings developmentally appropriate tumbling equipment into a classroom. The children love their tumbling class. Tumbling class is now offered on Wednesday afternoons at 3:30pm
