Early Childhood Education Programs, Classes, and Curriculum

Toddler Program

The Toddler program focuses on teaching children to meet their individual interests and needs while also interacting successfully as part of a group. The day begins with playtime on the Toddler yard where children engage in a wide variety of activities, such as water play, painting, and more.

In their classroom, toddlers experiment with art materials, choose from activity centers that house blocks, dolls, trucks, dress-up clothes, and more. Learning how to sit in a group, listen to a story, and learn about the seasons and days of the week are engaging activities for a toddler. Circle time is an important experience for the children, and teachers remain conscious of each child’s developmental stage.

Separation and Transition

The Toddler program emphasizes the developmental importance of separation and transitioning toddlers to a school setting. Even if your child has been in a program prior to entering The Center, it is important to allow children time and space to adjust to new surroundings and people. The teachers work closely with families to make sure that the separation plan supports the child and is comfortable for everyone helping with the process. We begin the school year with an adjustment schedule for the first two and a half weeks, which allows children to ease into the spaces and routines, and develop comfort and familiarity with teachers at a pace that matches their developmental readiness. During this time we steadily increase the amount of time they are at school each day, until they are at their full half- or whole-day program. Children who need more time to separate beyond the adjustment schedule, will be supported as needed.

Toddler families should anticipate having a parent/guardian available to participate in the transition/separation process for the first two and a half weeks of the school year.

A Day In The Life of Toddlers

The Toddler program is designed with developmental needs, age-appropriate, and interest-driven curricula in mind. Children engage in a variety of indoor and outdoor activities throughout the day, which stimulate their curiosity, support cognitive development in areas of language, fine and gross motor skills, as well as their social-emotional well-being. Each classroom has 17 children and 3 teachers.

A Typical Day

Arrival
Outdoor play ( for motor and sensory-based exploration)
Indoor play / Choice time (community building, sensory, motor exploration)
Snack
Indoor play / Choice time
Half Day dismissal
Lunch / Rest
Wake-up
Goodbye

Toddlers also enjoy working with our Music, Library, and P.E. specialist teachers once a week, all of whom visit the children at the Toddler House.

In their classroom, toddlers experiment with an endless variety of art and sensory materials, and can also choose to play in centers such as the dramatic play area, blocks/building materials, trucks/vehicles, games and sorting activities, as well as the quiet and cozy book corner.

Meetings and circle times are an essential part of the toddler school experience. Learning how to sit in a group, listen and respond, and follow a multitude of carefully designed routines, cultivates a community of young learners, who start out playing in parallel, and slowly start to seek each other out by name to play with intention and purpose. Children listen to stories, sing songs together, learn about the plans for the day, share exciting news from home, and become a “family” at school.

The Toddler program runs five days a week, with Half- or Full-Day options. Families indicate their program preference when they apply to the program and are offered either a Half- or Full-Day schedule based on preference and availability. We do not offer an afternoon drop-in option.

Half-Day Program: 9:00 AM-Noon (Snack / no Lunch)
Full-Day Program: 9:00 AM-3:00 PM (Snack / w. Lunch and Rest )

List of 3 frequently asked questions.

Are snacks and meals provided in the Toddler Program?

The Center provides daily snacks in the morning and afternoon for all students. Families are welcome to send snacks from home each day as well. Full-Day students should bring a packed, healthy lunch from home that is ready to eat! We encourage families to send foods they know their toddlers will love to eat and can feed themselves independently.

We are a nut aware school, and do not allow children to bring nut products of any kind.
Do children have a daily rest time?

Rest is an important part of a Toddler’s day. All Full-Day Toddlers participate in rest time, even if they do not rest at home. If your child is tired they will be encouraged to rest accordingly. If your child is no longer resting, you may find that once school begins they do in fact need to rest again, daily. Children who don’t sleep are expected to stay on their mats quietly, while they cuddle their lovey and listen to the soft music playing with teachers facilitating the resting process. Children rest on mats spread out throughout the classroom. Families provide a sheet, blanket, and a lovey of choice, for their child to rest with. These items are sent home at the end of each week to be washed and returned on Monday.
Do you require Toddlers to be toilet trained before beginning school?

Toddlers are not required to be potty trained before they begin the Toddler Program. Some children are fully potty trained before beginning Toddlers, some have not used the potty at all, and many are somewhere in between. We encourage the process throughout the school year, with the intention that children are trained, or well on their way, by the start of EC1. During the school day, teachers change children’s diapers or pull-ups as needed, offer opportunities to practice using the potty, and encourage practice wearing underwear at school. The teachers will be in communication with you about what stage of readiness your child is at in order to facilitate the process in a developmentally appropriate way. Accidents will happen, and we’ll be ready for them! No child is made to feel badly during this process. Toilet training is a huge milestone for toddlers and we are here to partner with families to help children be successful.

Early Childhood 1 (EC1) & Early Childhood 2 (EC2)

Cultivating Autonomy & Community-Mindedness

The EC1 (3-4 years) and EC2 (4-5 years) programs are designed for preschool-aged children, transitioning from Toddlers, other school programs, or just starting out. Each classroom is composed of 22 children and 3 teachers. Both the EC1 and EC2 center on play-based learning.

Children engage in experiential and teacher-guided explorations daily. Their schedules are similar, with an appropriately matched emphasis on developmental learning and readiness.

EC1 and EC2 Programs run five days a week. We do not offer 2- or 3-day options. Consistent routines and developing predictable patterns are key for children to develop a sense of belonging and security in this process.

EC1 - Half- and Full-Day Options

Half Day 9am-12pm (Snack / No Lunch)
Full Day 9am-3pm (Snack/ Lunch and Rest)

EC2 - Full-Day Only

Full Day 9am-3pm (Snack/ Lunch and Rest)

A Typical Day

Arrival
Outdoor play ( for motor and sensory based exploration)
Specialist Time (PE, Library or P.E.)
Indoor play / Choice time (community building, social studies and focused curriculum)
Snack
Indoor play / Choice time
Half Day dismissal (for Half Day EC1 only)
Lunch / Rest
Wake-up
Snack
Outdoor Play / Sensory Table Choices (Specialist Time on occasion)
Goodbye

The Early Childhood Curriculum is geared toward healthy development of identity and self-esteem, motor skills, creativity, self-awareness, self-care and autonomy.

EC1 and EC2 utilizes an emergent approach to language, literacy, and math concepts. This allows children to engage with letter sounds, words, numbers, and counting through exposure, play, and exploration. We do not employ rote practice or memorization as a means to build skills. Instead, through hands-on experiences, children are able to develop the foundations for emergent literacy and math.

Teachers engage students with themed curriculum units around science, art, math, and literature. Teachers follow a developmental framework to design experiences that invite curiosity and open-ended exploration, where children learn about how to ask questions and seek out answers.

Children are encouraged to share their thinking and findings, problem-solve and build off of their interest and strengths, as well as develop areas for growth, with the careful guidance of our expert early childhood teachers.

EC2 is a natural extension and progression of EC1 and offers a meaningful developmental trajectory for preschool students before moving on to Kindergarten.

Separation in EC1 and EC2

Children in these groups may continue to experience some level of separation. This is typically within developmental range, and teachers will work with families to support students with what they need.

Communication with teachers about creating a consistent plan for arrival is essential in establishing a successful and comfortable separation routine.

List of 2 items.

EC1 Program

Our EC1 program is for children between three and four years old and offers half and full day options. Indoor and outdoor experiences are organized around learning centers or areas of the classroom. Small and large group activities also include storytime, movement, music, and library. Children must be three years old by July 1 to enroll in EC1.
EC2 Program

Our full-day EC2 program is for children between four and five years old. The program builds upon the skills introduced in the EC1 program and prepares students to enter kindergarten. Service learning continues as part of the curriculum with the addition of off-campus field trips.