Classes

Douglas Firs Preschool

The Douglas Firs consists of children ages 3 and 4 years old. Children must be 3 years old before September 1st of their enrollment year. This class will be held 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.

Preschool 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 they will need to wash their hands in the bathroom. Please do your best to have your child use the bathroom before entering the classroom. Once done, they will be ready for a quick goodbye, and to start their day!
9:15-9:30 Morning Meeting
Once 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, playdough, texture table, Lincoln logs, and and a variety of other activities. The children in each group, as well as the activity at each station, will change daily. This allows for students to get to know each other, practice patience by staying at their station for at least five minutes, and really learn how to play with each toy as well as interact with each other.
10:00-10:15 Wiggle Break
This age group of children are usually excited to be at school, and with such a small classroom, we need calm bodies and voices. If weather and time allows, we head outside for a “Wiggle Break” where the children are encouraged to run and use their outside voices. As we come back inside and hang our coats, we meet in the hallway for a deep breath, and a reminder of how our bodies and voices should be in the classroom.
10:15-11:00 One-on-One Work Time & Free Play
Work time consists of different art projects that practice skills such as scissors, pencil grip, and hand control. This allows children to work on their fine motor skills with activities like beading, gluing, cutting paper, patterns, stickers, and so much more. For free play, the children can choose activities such as puzzles, writing center, coloring, texture table, housekeeping, block-a-roos, Duplo blocks, and etc. We encourage exploration of various activities along with socializing within the class.

11:00-11:10 Clean Up Time & Potty Breaks
We work really hard to make sure all the children are involved in helping to clean up our classroom after activites. This will also be time for everyone to go potty and wash their hands before snack time and recess.
11:10-11:30 Snack & Story Time
Children 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 all their classmates are finished.
11:30-11:50 Recess
We will have a recess break every day, unless the weather is too unruly.
11:50-12:00 Wind Down and Wrap Up
This is a time for the children to wind down after a fun day of learning. We will meet on the mat for a story, song, or quick recap of the day. Children will also have the opportunity to quietly read a book on their own while waiting to be picked up.
Noon Pick Up
Parents or guardians will wait in the hallway outside of each classroom. The teachers will dismiss the students one-by-one as they see the student's guardian.

*For the first few weeks of school, proper hand washing will be demonstrated and will continue daily until the children are consistent and they understand the importance of taking their time and being thorough. Please practice at home!

Noble Firs Pre-Kindergarten

The Noble Firs class is held Monday through Friday from 9:00am to noon. The children must be at least 4 years old by September 1st of their enrollment year. A child’s social and emotional growth will determine which placement will be best for them. Students may repeat the Preschool or the Pre-Kindergarten class depending on where they fit best. There are openings for fifteen children in this pre-kindergarten class, taught by one teacher and one assistant teacher.

Pre-Kindergarten Schedule

Times are approximate and will vary according to the needs of the children and/or the current theme.

9:00-9:10 Morning Arrival
Upon arrival, you will sign your child in. Students will wash their hands, answer the morning question, and return the “Borrow-a-Book” folder. They will then head inside the classroom and check in by writing their names. They will then go to the red table for morning work. 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.
9:10-9:20 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 do some stretching.
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 to speak or answer questions. 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 activities, 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. 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 time.
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.

These schedules are 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.