Pre-K

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

&

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 group activities 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.

This link takes you to a search page offering a variety of articles 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 can practice leadership

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

• introduces developmentally appropriate science experiences that allow 4-year-olds to ask their questions and explore at their leisure

• is a stress-free environment complete with an array of equipment for 4 and 5 year-olds

• has a developed Pre-K curriculum that includes time each week for teacher-directed small group learning specifically to practice pre-math & science concepts, activities to strengthen hand-eye coordination, gain print & phonics awareness, and work cooperatively in a small group

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

• and an adult-child ratio of 1:6

For more on what children need to know before heading off to kindergarten, click here.