Our Daily Schedule

 

In Preschool, every day is the same yet different. We follow a predictable routine that kids grow accustomed to which is vital to their growth and development. At the same time, kids are, by nature, creative and spontaneous and we try to nurture that as much as possible. We also have several, scheduled bathroom breaks throughout the day, but children are encouraged to use the bathroom whenever the need arises.

Arrival

Each morning, when your kids arrive at school, we head down to the cubbies where they learn to unpack their backpacks, putting their lunches and snacks in designated spots, and then they will use the bathroom and wash their hands before entering the classroom.

Centers

We start the day with Centers or Free Choice. Your children will be able to choose what they want to do during that time, with a variety of choices including Blocks, Dramatic Play, Reading, Puzzles, Literacy, and Art. The Centers available will change throughout the year, based on our theme and the needs and interests of each child. This is a great time for children to interact, play together, and learn to share and negotiate differences.

Circle Time

 At Circle time, each child is assigned a "job" in the classroom for the day.  We then go through our calendar, including the season, month, year, day of the week, and date. We talk about the weather and then discuss feelings. We learn about different emotions and each child has an opportunity to put their name under an emoji that represents how they are feeling that day. 

At this point, Circle time moves on to various other components. We might sing a song or learn a fingerplay related to our theme. We also use this time to read books, play a class game, talk about the letter of the week, or introduce any new activities we are bringing into the classroom.

Snack 

By now, your preschooler has worked up an appetite, so everyone washes their hands, gets their snack and sits at the table. When everyone is ready, we sing our prayer and have snack.  As children finish, they clean up their spot, return water bottles and containers to their cubby, and then can choose a book to look at until everyone is finished.

Craft

The next half hour is devoted to our craft activity, which is related to our weekly theme. This is the time when kids work on valuable fine motor skills, including cutting, gluing, coloring, and writing. Some kids might express that certain skills are "too hard" but we encourage them to complete each activity with support. The more kids work with materials, the more skilled they become so these early efforts really need to be encouraged and supported. Each child is encouraged to clean up their area when they are finished, including throwing away trash and putting away materials.

Recess

We go outside every day unless temperatures dip below about 32 degrees. Outside time is a very important part of your child's day so we try not to skimp on it unless absolutely necessary. We will stay inside on exceptionally hot or cold days, and on rainy days. When in doubt, send a warm jacket, hats, mittens, and scarves so your child can comfortably participate.

Lunch

We eat lunch outside or in our classroom depending on the weather. This seemingly routine part of the day offers a lot of opportunities for growth for your child.  Some food containers can be challenging to open and we are always available to help, but we do encourage self-sufficiency and try to teach and model how to open packaged items and containers.  Lunchtime is also a social time, where kids engage in conversation with their classmates and teachers, working on valuable communication skills and table manners.

Specials

Your preschoolers will be attending several specials each week. Our specials include Spanish, Music, PE, Chapel, and Library. On days we don't have specials, we often use that time for other special activities like games, playdoh, shaving cream, or other specific activities related to our theme.

Dismissal

With another day done, your preschooler will get ready to come home, hopefully excited to share all the fun things they did that day.  At the beginning of the year, teachers pack the backpacks, but as the year progresses we will be teaching and encouraging your children to pack up their belongings themselves.