Pre-Kindergarten

Kindergarten students making their way through an obstacle course in the playground

As a child's earliest school experience, pre-kindergarten needs a rich play-based curriculum that keeps children creatively engaged.

Our program greets our children with age-appropriate activities and learning opportunities that promote positive self-esteem. It's the social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual education a young mind craves. We boost our students with lessons based on a thematic, play-oriented curriculum enriched with creative, hands-on activities throughout each day. This meets the needs of individual students at all levels and focuses on educating the whole child.

A Day in the Life of Pre-K

School Day Schedule

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri:		Wed (late start):
Arrival	8:00 - 8:15 am	9:05 - 9:15 am
Dismissal	2:00 - 2:25 pm	2:00 - 2:25 pm

Mustang Afterschool Program (MAP)

We provide after-school activities Monday through Friday.

KATIE MCDOUGALL
Lower School Director

Core Curriculum
Specialty Curriculum

Core Curriculum

***Can you write your name? Pre-K students practice writing with Mrs. Hudec and Mrs. Semien.***

Reading and Language Arts

Our youngest learners develop a life-long love of reading through daily read-alouds, library storytime and exposure to print-rich classrooms. They are exposed to songs, stories, phonics, and critical thinking that develops their expressive and receptive language skills, preparing them for reading independence. In the writing center, students express themselves by drawing and writing stories and letters. They develop their fine motor skills by experimenting with a variety of instruments, including playdough and foam.

**Blast off! Students have a blast making volcanoes.**

Science

Young scientists learn best by “doing” and in science. Our students are hands-on and elbows deep as they engage in experiments that teach them to create, question, and explore the world around them. From learning about plants and seeds, creatures, animal habitats, weather, nutrition, and magnets, they experience the joy of discovery in active lessons and projects.

Math

Numbers are all around us! Our budding mathematicians soon discover patterns, sequencing, and number concepts through the use of manipulative toys, puzzles, pattern materials, graphing mats, blocks, rhymes, and games.

Bernie the Firefighter visits Pre-K students in the Library to discuss how to be safe and prevent fires.

Social Studies

Students learn about their community heroes including fire and police officers as they explore topics of safety and emergency preparedness. They also explore their family roots: where they came from with the use of maps, interviews with parents and grandparents, stories and pictures of travels, cultures, and religious traditions.

Specialty Curriculum

Physical Education

In PE class, games and activities contribute to the development of large and small muscle coordination through strength building activities, endurance, balance, and hand-eye coordination. Group skills, cooperation and teamwork are practiced both in PE class and during free play.

World Languages

Spanish songs, games, art projects, and stories expose our young learners to the sounds and cultures of Spanish-speaking people. Students will develop vocabulary and knowledge of key phrases in the Spanish language. Through repetitive oral language expression, the students become comfortable and open to express themselves in a new language.

**Stories come alive as Librarian Mr. Paulson reads with Pre-K students.**

Library

A visit from the librarian is a special part of each week. Arriving with many of the students’ favorite books, Mr. Paulson reads with spirited animation, funny sounds, and silly gestures. Sometimes he even arrives in full costume such as scientist Dr. Booster McFlames or with a puppet friend such as Bernie the Firefighter. It is a common occurrence for students to exclaim, “Please read it again!”

Research has shown time and again that reading aloud to children increases the likelihood of academic success, and leads to a broader vocabulary that enhances social skills. The Early Childhood Center shares a large selection of books in their Bear Tracks Library that are used for student check-out and classroom reading.

Religion

Religion lessons embrace diversity of beliefs while teaching core values of respect, compassion, and service. We cultivate wonder, inquiry, togetherness and adventure through sharing the stories of love and compassion from the Bible and in spiritual narratives found in popular culture. Stories of faith, hope, and love reassure our students that they walk with good company in the journey of life. Students sing songs with Reverend Jay and his popular ukulele while building a foundational language for spiritual depth and resilience. Along with singing, prayers, and developmentally appropriate storytelling, the students are introduced to basic theological concepts of religion, prayer, spirituality, and morality, all while reinforcing reflective and listening skills.

Visual Arts

The Art Program values process over product while empowering young learners to participate in a wealth of projects during art class. We explore a variety of art materials including watercolor, oil pastels, collage, and nature art. We work with these materials to create art inspired by famous artists, books, and the natural world while providing students the freedom to express themselves.

***Shake, shake, shake! Pre-K students learn to sing to the beat while using sound shakers with Ms. Samta.***

Music

Music and art are essential to human development and human expression. Music especially has been proven to help children develop a variety of cognitive, physical, and social skills. Our curious Pre-kindergarten students sing silly, fun songs that help them to learn and review colors, letters, numbers, and days of the week. We play multiple percussion instruments and dance with scarves and stretchy bands. Our musical movement explorations include stomping, clapping, twirling, swaying, jumping, running, tiptoeing, marching, and more.

***Students participate in the annual Christmas Pageant, telling a story of faith and hope.***

Dramatic Play

Dramatic play is a key developmental activity for children of this age. Parents join the students for a cup of tea in the dollhouse area or dawn a cape and take off with the super heroes as they tackle new challenges. Acting out characters and scenes from stories, fairy-tales and poems bring language and literature to life for the children. Each year our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students participate in the beloved Christmas Pageant, telling the story of baby Jesus through acting out scenes and singing joyful songs.

Latest Happenings

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Kindergarten Raises Over $100 for Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA

Kindergarten has been busy practicing their coin counting skills in preparation for a bake sale. Although a bake sale might sound scrumptious, these treats were made for none other than furry friends!

Having a Ball

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students had a ball in PE with Mrs. King as they practiced their hand-eye coordination skills.

Diez, Veinte, Treinta!

Pre-Kindergarten had a ball while practicing their Spanish skills this week with Señora Graña.

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