Opening Circle
Circle time starts the preschool day! It is a time for the children to come together as a group for hellos, signing, stories, music and dance, and other teacher-led activities. At the end of closing circle, the children are introduced to the learning center activities for the day, allowing them to choose and participate in the activities most appealing to them. During this time, working parents assist the children or finish preparing their activity for the day.
Snack Time
The class comes together to eat what they prepared earlier in the day at the cooking center. Children are encouraged, but not required to taste the foods offered. Parents sit with the children assisting them and encouraging self reliance skills, such as pouring their own drinks from child-sized containers, taking turns, passing utensils and cleaning up after themselves. Social and motor skills develop, as does a sense of accomplishment, responsibility and community.
Second Circle Time / Outdoor Free Play
The schedule for the day allows for either a second circle time or outdoor free play. It is a time of transition from the learning centers to snack time. The working parents clean up the activities at the learning centers and either assist the teacher with the children or help set up for snack time.
The Teddy Bear Twos and Pre-K Butterflies offer a second circle time. The teacher uses this group time to lead the children in stories or storyboard activities and songs. In the Pre-K class, the activities often include music and movement that work on motor skills such as body rhythm, balance and directionality as well as language skills including recognizing sounds and patterns.
The Stars Threes class goes outside for outdoor free play to "get the wiggles out of them". Although this is a short outdoor time, children are offered activities such as easel painting, bubble blowing and play dough, in addition to sand play and fun backyard play.
Outdoor Free Choice
The spacious back yard with a play house, climbing structure, tricycle track, large grass and sand area provides plenty of opportunities for free play. Running, jumping, climbing, digging, sliding, and painting occur on a daily basis. As children grow from the Teddy Bears class to the Pre-K class, their play transitions from mostly "parallel" play to fully interactive play.
The large easel and patio tables provide the opportunity for art and sensory activities to continue during the outdoor free time. As the teacher works their way about the play yard, interacting with the children, modeling behavior and tools for the parents, the working parents supervise areas of play and assist the children at the art and sensory tables. In the Stars and Butterflies classes, children of the working parents have "sharing time". The children are invited to share with the teacher and classmates an item from home. This exercise simultaneously develops language, listening and social skills, as well as builds confidence and self esteem in each child.
Closing Circle
Closing circle time provides the children with closure to their school day. Children are given the opportunity to share some of their creations from the day, particularly journals and sticker stories.
The children end the day with our special "goodbye song", a long-standing SPNS tradition:
Preschool is over, now it’s time to go.
We had a happy time, so stand up in a row.
Hands up, hands down, give a little clap.
Wave to him and wave to her and fold them in your lap.
See you all on _________ when our day begins.
But for now goodbye, goodbye, goodbye to all our friends!