The Preschool schedule is based on our Montessori-inspired approach to learning, which incorporates long blocks of time to allow children to explore and engage deeply with projects, peers, and play.
Activities in Preschool
8:00 - 8:45 am.MORNING EXTENDED CARE
Children play, read, draw, and participate in teacher-led activities
8:45 - 10:30 am. MORNING WORK TIME
Families and caregivers may drop children off in the classroom between 8:45 - 9:00 am. Students begin with self-selected or teacher-selected activities, including Montessori curriculum materials, books, beginning sound or math concept games, painting, or science activities. Teachers circulate through the classroom to work with individual children and small groups. Each class also has a community meeting time that includes songs, calendar activities, stories, and other routines. Starting around 9:45 am, children have the choice of playing inside or outside.
10:30 - 11:00 am. SNACK TIME
Children eat a healthy snack while talking quietly. Before they resume active play outside, all students set their own tables for lunch, one of many sequential activities that allow children to develop concentration, coordination, memory, and grace in the Montessori curriculum.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm. OUTSIDE PLAY
Weather permitting, all children head outside for a variety of independent and teacher-led choices. Teachers may offer an art project or a variety of gross-motor activities. Students might play in the sandbox, build with crates and boards, play basketball, ride a trike, swing, or scale the climbing wall. Different age groups also attend Music, Spanish, and Health & Wellness classes during this time.
12:00 - 12:50 pm. LUNCH
Students help the teachers pour milk and wait patiently until each child is served. After lunch, children clear their own dishes and clean up. The older ones play outside while the youngest ones gather for reading time, followed by a teacher-led circle time.
12:50 - 2:00 pm. NAPTIME
All children in the three year old group take naps or rest at this time, supervised by a teacher from their class.
12:50 - 2:40 pm. AFTERNOON PERIOD
The four year old group gathers for a curriculum-focused circle time, followed by individual and group activities. The nappers rejoin the class at 2:00 pm. At 2:30 pm, all of the children work together to clean up the classroom, then have a closing whole-group time to sing songs or share thoughts about the day.
2:40 - 3:00 pm. END OF THE SCHOOL DAY
If they are headed home, children listen to stories outside while waiting to be picked up. If they are headed to Extended Day, children have a snack and story with teachers in the classrooms.
3:00 - 6:00 pm. EXTENDED DAY
The School provides a safe, nurturing Extended Day program for all age groups. Afternoon activities include yard play, art projects or other indoor activities, and circle time. Beginning in the Kindergarten year, additional enrichment classes are offered. More information about Extended Day is on our website.