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OUR PROGRAMS
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4 year old Pre-K Class
Tues.Thurs.Fri. classes 8:30 - 12:30
The goal of St. James Preschool 4 year old program is to provide an environment that fosters the growth of the "whole child". Through positive learning experiences in the areas of social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth, the child will develop at his or her own rate.
Social Development:
Plays with others appropriately
Participates in a group setting both small and large
Learns to cooperate and share with peers and teachers, learns to share time and materials
Emotional Development:
Develops confidence and enthusiasm in the classroom
Develops independence, learns to make good choices
Shows growth in attention span
Develops appropriate listening skills and follows directions
Plays and works enthusiastically with others
Can carry on a conversation with peers and adults
Physical Development:
Gross Motor: Participates in gross motor activities (e.g. floor blocks, movement, easel, creative play, running, skipping, scooter boards etc.)
Fine Motor: Participates in tactile activities (e.g. scissors, crayons, puzzles, crafts, legos etc.)
Intellectual Development:
The four year old child is introduced to~
Colors, number concepts (1-10), letters, spatial directions, shapes
Listening skills (through show and tell, conversation, story time and play)
Handwriting Without Tears Program: A fun multisensory and research based method to develop skills and teach letter recognition.
Music Program: Music is implemented into the daily program a half an hour each week.
Fieldtrips: There are occasioanal fieldtrips throughout the year to learn about the community.
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3 year old Nursery Class
Tues.Thurs. classes 8:30 - 11:30
Our purpose is to provide a large play space in and outdoors, a wide variety of equipment, activities and experiences, which will help foster your child's development physically, intellectually, socially and emotionally.
Your child will have time of his own to pursue his/her interests, as well as time with the teacher and others in group activities. Free play will be balanced with directed activities. n
There will be snack and story time everyday, and a music teacher will come to the class for a half hour of music each week.
The daily schedule is made up of the following flexible time blocks:
Play and Social Time: (individual and group play): ride on trucks, floor toys, playhouse, dress-ups, manipulative table toys and games.
Activity Time: Painting, drawing, cutting, pasting and created crafts all directed to learning new concepts in small groups with the teachers.
Clean Up: learning to be a good and responsible helper by putting away the playthings in the proper places
Talk and Listen Time: (group activites): show and tell, musical instruments, musical games, singing, finger plays, dramatizing, group circle games, stories, and puppets
Bathroom and Snack Time: emphasizes good hygiene and table manners
Outdoor Play Time: climbing, running, swinging, sliding, jumping, and sandbox toys
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2 year old Mommy & Me Class
Fri. class 9:00 - 10:30
The interactive "Mommy & Me" program is offered for 2 and 3 year old children and their parents. This successful and fun program involves play, sensory activities, crafts and monthly themes. Fun music and movement are an integral part of this program that focuses on developing confidence and social skills in children.
Music Program
Our music program for your children has several objectives. The most basic and perhaps the most important is a simple one: to have fun with music. Music has much to offer in the area of cultural diversity, math skills (pattern and sequences), language, literacy and more. Children who are learning to enjoy all kinds of musical activities are laying a foundation for further enrichment. For them, music can become a life long source of enjoyment and reward.
Even very young children respond readily to rhythm and simple melodies. We utilize this natural inclination to help the children learn a variety of things, reinforcing the idea that learning is fun.
These are some of the areas the curriculum stresses:
Singing: Song content expands vocabulary and teaches children about themselves (for example, parts of the body) and their environment (seasons, holidays) as well as practical knowledge (left/right differentiation, counting).
Movement: Age appropriate activities allow children to move their limbs, get in tune with their senses and learn how their body works. Finger plays and mimetic develop eye-hand coordination and small muscle control for manual skills such as writing. Dance improves balance, develops large muscle psychomotor abilities, and helps the child learn to listen and follow instructions. Marching, clapping, jumping etc. in time to the music develops coordination and a sense of rhythm.
Instrumental Music: Learning the names of various instruments, what they look like, and how they sound improves auditory discrimination and may expand the child's musical interests. The strengthening of good listening skills is important for speech and later for reading.
Creativity: The children are given the freedom to be creative in all the preceding areas. "Writing" songs about their names and favorite activities, foods, toys, etc. serves to enhance their self-concept. Dramatization with rhythmic body movements can tell a story or create a character or mood. The use of simple percussion and rhythm band instruments develops individual skills with the instruments and gives the child an opportunity to create his or her own musical accompaniment. This encourages experimentation and gives the child a real sense of accomplishment.
We do a lot of smiling and laughing in the music room. The children learn while having fun! |
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