Welcome to I.C. Preschool!

Here is some information about our program.  We hope you and your family will join us for some early learning!

We offer a full day preschool program that runs from 7:35am – 3:00pm with the option of picking your child up at 11:00am if you only want them to come for a half day.   You also have the option of choosing a 2, 3, or 5 day a week placement for your child.  Preschoolers are welcome to use the school’s before care and after care programs if you need extended hours of care.

We offer mixed age classrooms for 3-5 year olds.  This allows a child to remain with the same teacher for the 2 years before kindergarten allowing your young child to develop a close relationship with his or her preschool teacher.  This also allows the teacher to better know the child and what learning experiences he or she is ready to tackle.  Children in mixed age classrooms learn social skills by working together to help everyone learn what they are ready to learn.  The teacher assesses each child individually so that each child shows progress at his or her own level.

Preschool Curriculum & Assessment

We use the Project Construct curriculum which is one of the approved curriculums for the state of Missouri.  It is based on the Constructivist theory of education that says that children must construct their own knowledge. 

This is done through learning centers.  Each classroom contains a variety of centers: art, library, writing, science, blocks, dramatic play, sensory, math, games, computer, listening, and religion.

In addition to the classroom learning, preschoolers that stay for the full day also have special classes once a week: gross motor time in the gym, library, and computers.

Four principles guide this curriculum:

Children have an intrinsic desire to make sense of their world

Children actively construct knowledge and values by interacting with the physical and social worlds.

In their universal effort to understand the world, children’s thinking will contain predictable errors.

Children’s development is an interactive and interrelated process and spans the Sociomoral, Cognitive, Representational, and Physical Development domains.

The preschool teachers maintain a developmental portfolio for each child.  The portfolio is divided into 4 sections that are aligned with the 4 Project Construct Domains of Learning.
o     Sociomoral:                                      social development and personal development
o     Cognitive :                                       mathematical thinking and scientific thinking
o     Representational :                          language development and symbolic expression
o     Physical Development:                   motor skills and health & safety

Portfolios come home 4 times a year for families to review with their child.  Teachers also complete a developmental checklist on each child twice a year to show how they are progressing.  Although the checklist is a quick indicator of the learning that is occurring, the portfolio is the BEST way to see all the learning that happens!

A Day in the Life of an I.C. Preschooler

This is a brief overview of what a day looks like in preschool.  Activities may be changed around to best fit the needs of the classroom, but these are the activities that occupy our days together.

Arrival between 7:35 – 8:00am    As your child arrives at school, he hangs up his coat & backpack and gets out his folder to give to his teacher.  He then joins his friends in a quiet activity such as reading a book, doing a puzzle, or playing with playdough.  Then Mr. Stahlman, the school principal, comes on the intercom for prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and some announcements.  After that, we all head down the hall for a bathroom break.

Group Time                          When we return from the bathroom, everyone gathers on the carpet for a story relating to the theme unit that we are studying.  We also sing a song or two and then discuss our plans for what we are going to do during choice time.  We may also do another math or literacy game or we may work on our religion unit.

Choice Time with snack available                                               During choice time, centers are set up to correspond with the theme we are studying and the skills that each child is working on.  At least one of the centers is a teacher-directed activity that allows the teacher to assess each child. Most of the centers are more child-directed.  This allows the teacher to know the children’s interests and to take documentation notes which are then used to plan future activities.  Snack or a cooking activity is also available for children that would like something to eat.

Outside     After we all work together to clean up our room, we get our coats on and head to the playground.  In addition to the playground equipment, the children enjoy playing with balls, sidewalk chalk, and whatever they can find in nature.  Be sure your child is dressed to get dirty!

Journals    When we get inside, we stop by the bathroom again and then head back to our classroom.  We hang up our coats and get out our journals.  A journal is a special book that each child has to draw pictures and begin to write in.  At the beginning of the year, everyone draws a picture and then dictates a word, a sentence, or a paragraph to the teacher who writes the words in the child’s journal.  By the middle of the year, most of the pre-kindergarten children and a few of the younger ones are ready to start writing words on their own.  They can find words in the room to copy, ask for help with sounding out a word, or just guess how they think it should be spelled.  We do not correct spelling.  We want them to enjoy writing rather than worry about if they did it right or not. 

Closing Meeting                    Before lunch, we gather one more time to talk about what we did today, sing some more songs, pass out folders to go home, and end our morning with prayer.  This is also when we say good-bye to any friends that are not staying with us for the rest of the day.

Lunch at 11:15am                                   For lunch, all of the preschool classes eat together in the cafeteria.  We sit at tables that are just the right size for us.  Your child can buy a hot lunch, bring a lunch and buy a milk, or bring their lunch and a drink.

Outside Play                                              After lunch, we head outside for more time on the playground.  We have lots of energy and need time outside to be able to run and climb and do all those things we can’t do in the building.

Books & Bathroom                                  When we come in from outside, we stop at the bathroom and then head back to our room for some more story time.  Reading to young children is one of the best things you can do for them and so we do it a lot.

Nap Time    As we finish reading the stories, the children move to their cots where they snuggle up with a blanket, pillow, and stuffed animal brought from home.  The children do not have to sleep, but they are asked to lie quietly so others can rest.

Center Time with snack available                                    As the children begin to wake up, they put their shoes on and ask for help if they need it.  Then they help to stack the cots and put away their pillows and blankets.  As they finish putting away their nap things, activities are set up around the room for them to join.  At one of the tables, a snack is available for anyone that is hungry.  Children play until someone arrives to pick them up.

Dismissal at 3:00pm                               All children need to be picked up by 3:00pm unless they are going to the cafeteria for the aftercare program.  One of the teachers will walk the aftercare children down to the cafeteria and be sure they are checked in.

Preschool Fun Links

www.starfall.com

www.pbskids.org

http://www.mightybook.com/

http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.htm

Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood
http://pbskids.org/rogers/R_house/

Sesame Street
http://www.sesamestreet.org/home

www.nickjr.com