Pre-K

Regular co-op Monday/Wednesday/Friday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

&

Drop-off Tuesday/Thursday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

For children who are age 4 and older by September 1, (TK-age)

In addition to our standard preschool program, which includes circle times and snack times, and lots of unstructured time to explore activities including crafts, sand play, sensory play, science experiments, dramatic play, cooking, gardening, circle time, and group story time, children on the Pre-K track attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and enjoy special small groups with Teacher Lisa. Children will engage in playful, teacher-led, hands-on math and literacy activities each week in preparation for kindergarten and beyond.

For more about our school’s play-based curriculum, click here. For more on why play-based learning works, click here.

Pre-K parents work in the classroom on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday mornings once a week to supervise play activities, socialization, and problem-solving. Parents attend a parent-ed meeting twice a month from 12:00 to 1:00 pm while their children attend a supervised lunch bunch. 

Two teachers, twenty-four children, and 5-6 classroom adults make up the class. (adult:child ratio 1:4)

the co-op commitment

• Work in the classroom once a week

• Participate in parent-ed discussion groups twice a month on your workday

• Fulfill at least 14 hours on a school job

• Provide snacks for the class and parents per the rotating schedule

• Help with maintaining the building and grounds by attending one 2-hour deep clean & beautification shift

• Attend the parent orientation and 2 of the 4 parenting webinars noted on the calendar

• Participate in fundraising activities

Transitional Kindergarten or Pre-K?

The choice is yours. We are sharing some resources as you make this important decision for your child.

This link takes you to a search page offering a variety of resources to help with things to consider when choosing the right program. For context, SPNS offers

• a mixed-age community of children where Pre-K children get to lead,

• lots of open-ended, free-choice indoor and outdoor play where Pre-K children can pursue their learning interests,

• developmentally appropriate science experiences that allow Pre-K children to ask their questions and explore at their leisure,

• a facility complete with an array of equipment for 4- and 5-year-olds,

• a fine-tuned Pre-K curriculum designed to include time each week for teacher-directed small group learning specifically to build math & print awareness, strengthen hand-eye coordination, and cooperative participation,

• a program led by teachers trained in early childhood development and education,

• and an adult-child ratio of 1:6.

For an even deeper dive into the conversation of academics for preschoolers, click here.