pre-school
The Douglas Firs consists of children ages 3 and 4 year-old. Children must be 3 before September 1st of their enrollment year. This class will be Monday through Friday from 9:00am to noon. The goal for this class is to help develop and prepare them for Pre-Kindergarten by teaching them self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness – all of which are vital for Pre-K readiness. There are openings for ten students in this class, taught by one teacher and one assistant teacher.
Class Schedule
Times are approximate and will vary according to the needs of the children and/or the current theme.
9:00-9:15 Morning Arrival
Upon arrival, you will sign your child in, hang their belongings by their cubby, and wash their hands in the bathroom. Please do your best to have your child use the bathroom before entering the classroom. Once done, they are ready for a quick goodbye, and ready to start their day!
9:15-9:30 Morning Meeting
When everyone has arrived, the students will sit around the red table to say hello, discuss the letter of the week, schedule for the day, read a book, etc.
9:30-10:00 Morning Stations
Groups of 2 to 3 students will rotate to different stations such as name tracing, blocks, play dough, texture table, Lincoln Logs, etc. The children in each group, as well as the activity at each station changes daily. This allows for students to get to know each other, practice patience by staying at their station for 5 minutes, and learn how to play with each toy as well as interacting with others.
10:00-10:15 Wiggle Break This age group of students are usually excited to be at school, and being inside the classroom, calm bodies and voices are encouraged. If weather and time allows, the students head outside for a “Wiggle Break” where they are encouraged to run and use their outside voices. As we come back inside and hang coats, we meet in the hallway for a deep breath, and a reminder of how we should be in the classroom.
10:15-11:00 One-on-One Work Time and Free Play
Students can choose activities such as puzzles, writing center, coloring, texture table, housekeeping, blockaroos, Duplos, etc. Some stations will have a limit to the number of children for proper spacing as we encourage exploration of various activities along with socializing within the class.
Work time consists of different art projects that practice skills such as scissors, pencil grip, and hand control. This allows the students to work on their fine motor skills with activities like beading, gluing, cutting paper, patterns, stickers, and so much more.
*For the first few weeks of school, proper handwashing will be demonstrated and continue daily until the students are consistent and they understand the importance of taking their time and being thorough. Please practice at home!
11:00-11:10 Clean Up Time and Potty Breaks
The teachers work hard to make sure all the students are involved in helping to clean up the classroom. This will also be time for everyone to go potty and wash their hands before snack time and recess.
11:10-11:30 Snack and Story Time
Students will sit together at the red table and enjoy a small snack while the teacher reads a book. We then proceed with calm music, and as they finish their snacks, students are able to choose their own book and silently read until classmates are finished.
11:30-11:50 Recess
We will have a recess break every day depending on the weather.
11:50-Noon Wind Down and Wrap Up This is a time for the students to wind down after a fun day of learning by meeting on the carpet for a story, song, or quick recap of the day. Students will also have the opportunity to quietly read a book on their own while waiting to be picked up.
Noon Pickup
Pickup will occur in the hallway outside of the classroom. Teachers will dismiss each student individually as their parent/ guardian arrives.
pre-kindergarten
The Noble Firs will be Monday through Friday from 9:00am to noon. Children must be at least 4 years old by September 1st of their enrollment year. Your child’s social and emotional growth will determine which placement will be best for them. Students may repeat either class depending on where they fit best. There are openings for fourteen to fifteen students in this class, taught by one teacher and one assistant teacher.
Class Schedule
Times are approximate and will vary according to the needs of the children and/or the current theme.
8:55-9:15 Morning Arrival
Upon arrival, you will sign your child in. Students will wash their hands, answer morning question, and return “Borrow-a-Book” folder. They will then head inside the classroom and check in by writing their names, and then head to the red table to do their morning work.
Teachers spend time every morning preparing for a fun and successful day. The door is unlocked no earlier than 8:55am. Understanding that there could be a conflict with siblings’ school schedules, we ask that all students arrive no later than 9:15am so as not to disrupt the start of day.
9:15-9:20 Finding Calm
This is a wonderful way to begin the day. Once everyone has arrived, everyone heads over to the star carpet using their calm bodies and focusing on their breathing, we listen to tranquil music and stretch.
9:20-9:30 Music and Movement
Students will sit together while following words posted on the wall from our projector. This repetition, letter recognition, and letter sounds are a helpful part in reading readiness. The music and songs selected will be seasonal and based on themes we incorporate into class.
9:30-9:45 Morning Meeting
The teacher will lead an organized, educational, and engaging class meeting. As the students sit on their individual spots on the large carpet, they are expected to sit still, focus with their eyes and listening ears, and raise their hands. This time of focus is very important to learn and will help them transition nicely into Kindergarten.
Morning discussions: calendar, days of school, attendance, review of the day’s schedule, and read a book.
9:45-10:05 Morning Minutes
Students are divided into small groups and/or work one-on-one at the various stations: Sorting, Tracing, Playdough, STEM, Scissors and Glue.
10:05-11:10 Explore and Engage
Students are free to roam, explore, socialize, and work with the teachers. Some of this will be with a small group or one-on-one time with a teacher. Much of the one-on-one time will be working on following directions and academic skills. Social and emotional development is also incorporated during this time period.
11:10-11:30 Clean Up, Wash Hands, Snack
Just a few days after beginning school, the students will know how to clean up and organize the classroom. During this time, they will work together and tidy up the classroom while listening to the “Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade” music.
Students will then wash their hands with soap and warm water, using minimal paper towels to dry. Occasionally, hand sanitizer may be used and is always available.
For the snacks, there will be a variety of the following charcuterie-style snack items (and are subject to change). For the protein portion: salami stick, turkey, or ham; there will also be other snacks like pretzels, Ritz crackers, Goldfish, Cheez-Its, Cheerios, graham crackers, club crackers, fresh veggies, and fresh fruit.
11:30-11:35 Wind Down
Quiet reading.
11:35-11:55 Recess
Rain or shine, the teachers do their best to help get the students’ wiggles out on the beautiful playground. The teachers encourage a lot of running, jumping, socializing, and, generally, just moving at recess!
11:55-Noon Recap and Goodbye
The day ends with a quick carpet gathering to discuss topics of the day, say goodbye, and then dismissal.
Noon-1:00 AfterCare/Lunch
Students who are signed up for the AfterCare program need to bring their own lunch to school. The first 30 minutes are spent sitting together, practicing good table manners, and, of course, eating lunch.
Students have the option to play or read books for approximately 20 minutes and the last 10 minutes are designated as clean up and quiet book reading while waiting to be excused.
This schedule is intended to provide structure, predictability, and security for the children. It is also planned in order to facilitate optimal use of our time together. However, times and choices may vary depending on the needs of the children or theme studied. Math, science, reading, language, art and music activities are integrated into the study of the current theme.