Our primary goal is to help children learn the dynamics of group living by giving them techniques for managing personal interaction, which will enable them to become successful group members. Personal, emotional as well as social growth is fostered. The children are encouraged to express themselves freely as individuals for we appreciate each child's unique characteristics, tailoring the program to meet his or her needs. We do not expect all children to behave alike or feel that one way of behaving is intrinsically better or worse than another. However, it is sometimes in the best interest of the child to guide him or her in adapting his/her temperamental style to achieve more success and satisfaction. Opportunities for participation in large group, small group, and individual activities are offered.

We believe that the parents, as a child's original and most influential teachers, should be involved and share his/her preschool experience; therefore, the parents run the school, establish policy and assist in the classroom. Parents are our most valuable resource and they are encouraged to bring their interests into the classroom to share with the children. And yet, what the parent does is not so important; how he or she does it is the more critical message for the child. We know that it is the process and not the product that yields learning.

"I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand."

The Magic Years by Fraiberg

 The program is planned in detail around a skeletal structure of routines. A large portion of the morning is allocated for free work/play; with a number of options available, the children choose activities to satisfy their own interests. They are exposed to a wide variety of materials and experiences including dramatic play, games of logic and number, construction projects, art, cooking, music and dance, science discoveries, stories and language arts, and field trips.

The program for three-year-olds is geared to the needs of children who are just becoming aware of themselves as persons among other persons. An increasing command of responsiveness to the spoken language has enormous influence on the three-year-old's social, emotional, and intellectual development. His/her improving large motor coordination and growing interest in fine motor activities are given opportunities for practice and exploration.  Social experiences with others that have different attitudes and points of view provide lessons in sharing, in cooperation, in self-assertion, and in self-defense.

The program for four-year-olds reflects our expanded expectations. Because he or she is more independent and sociable, the four-year-old can enjoy more time in small and large group activities. In spite of his/her verbal assertiveness, there is still a vast unknown world to be investigated and understood. We help him/her generalize and order the many ideas and experiences which occupy his/her busy mind. We do not teach children how to read and write because our belief in the whole child and our knowledge that his social, emotional and physical growth are equally important and necessary to proper intellectual functioning. Developmentally, most three, four, and five-year-olds are not ready for reading and writing. But they are ready for other intellectual tools that are developed and utilized in the nursery school program. All the classroom materials have an educational purpose and are selected for their suitability to the young child's sensory mode of learning. To name a few:

Legos, puzzles, color cubes, beads ~ Manipulation
Dramatic play, balance scales, cooking, art ~ Exploration
Blocks, workbench, matching, sorting games ~ Problem Solving
Meeting, stories, records, field trips ~ Discussion

We expose children to letters and numbers just as we expose them to many other academic and non-academic areas. Maturation cannot be hastened; given a rich and secure environment, children will learn numbers and letters easily when they are developmentally ready. Thus, it is the young child's place which lays the groundwork for the more specific and academic learning which will follow in later years.

The first school experience should be a happy one for the parents and the child. A gradual start with short sessions and small groups during the first few weeks of school eases the child's adjustment and helps the teacher to know each child more quickly. A smooth transition from home to school life at the beginning of the year brings benefit to all the children, the parents, and the teacher throughout the year. Formal teacher-parent conferences are scheduled once a year, and the parents and teacher are urged to communicate freely with each other (additional conferences may be requested at any time).

It is when parents and teachers are working together in full cooperation for the best possible education of the children that our purpose is achieved.