Our 3s & 4s Day

Our school year begins in mid-September and ends in early June.  Click to see our School Calendar.

Our Morning

Arrival & Welcome

Our main door is open to greet children and their grown-ups as they arrive. Parents and caregivers  visit the bathroom to wash their child’s hands before bringing them to the classroom.

Center Exploration & Choice Time

Self-directed centers of interest allow children to independently choose activities that help them transition smoothly from home to school. 

Clean-Up

Children gain a sense of responsibility and work as a group member to help pick up toys and put materials back on shelves.

Morning Meeting

The class gathers for a structured group time where teachers lead songs, discuss the calendar and weather, and review the day’s plans. This daily routine fosters a strong sense of community while helping children develop self-regulation, increase their attention span, and strengthen their language, communication, and listening skills.

Table time Activity

Children engage in theme-related projects that complement the unit theme or letter of the week while promoting cognitive and fine motor development and strengthening social and language skills. Our small class sizes allow teachers to differentiate instruction to meet each child’s individual learning needs.

Restroom Break

This time allows us to encourage good hygiene and self-care skills.

Snack & Share-n-Tell

This gives children the opportunity to continue practice language and social skills as they engage in conversations with peers.  Healthy eating and independence are promoted.  

Independent Reading

Children select books of interest to practice emergent reading skills.

Indoor Gym

Children develop large motor skills through movement and formulate their own plan as they engage in activities with other children in our play space. Teacher’s use this time to observe how children gather information, interact with peers and solve problems, and to facilitate the children’s interests.

Whole & Small Group Activities

This block of time includes whole group and small group instruction.  Teachers lead short lessons that focus on foundational learning skills followed by hands-on project-based learning opportunities for children to showcase their expanding knowledge base.

Specialty Classes

Specialty teachers provide age-appropriate lessons in music, movement, chess, Spanish and Math-Gym during the morning to enhance the school day.

Transition Time

The children gather together to enjoy a story and say goodbye to their friends who are dismissed at noon (3s class only). The lead teacher then helps the departing children gather their belongings and escorts them to the school’s main entrance for dismissal. Meanwhile, the remaining children transition into the afternoon portion of their day and prepare for the activities ahead.

Our Afternoon

Lunch

Mealtime provides children with opportunities to socialize while practicing courtesy, good manners, and independence. These daily routines especially help prepare our 4-year-olds for kindergarten. As children finish eating, they are encouraged to read quietly until their friends have finished  eating.

Quiet Rest

This provides time for children to be calm and relax after a full morning of activities.  Soft music is played, and the children rest or read quietly on individual padded mats for  approximately 25 minutes.

Independent Play

The children can select from a variety of activities and materials to play alone or with other classmates.

Learning Centers

The children rotate through a variety of hands-on learning centers that complement the unit theme or letter of the week and are designed to strengthen early literacy, math, and STEM skills.  During this time, teachers work with individual children and smaller groups to provided targeted instruction, observe learning and assess each child’s progress and growth. 

Recess

This is a second opportunity for children to move their entire bodies, build gross motor skills, and engage with friends.  Social skills are developed as they learn to interact share, cooperate and solve problems together.  While our indoor play space is spacious to encourage active movement, our local playground may also be visited when appropriate.

Enrichment Block

Teachers continue to strengthen cognitive and fine motor skills through engaging group activities such as cooking, yoga, and hands-on STEM experiments. These experiences provide opportunities for children to explore, discover, and build confidence in a fun, interactive environment.

Story Time

Teachers select books to read aloud that support the monthly theme or are favorites among the children. Shared reading experiences promote listening comprehension and foster a love of books. During the read-aloud, teachers model literacy strategies while encouraging children to make predictions, retell stories, expand their vocabulary, develop phonemic awareness, and participate in meaningful discussions.

Closing Circle

The children come together one last time to reflect on the day, sharing favorite activities, and saying good-bye to each other through song.  They gather their belongings to go home.

Dismissal

Teachers bring the children up to the school’s main door where they wait until contact is made with each parent or caregiver before sending the child out.  Children leave with confidence and excitement for tomorrow.