Welcome to our preschool and our team of creative and energetic teachers.

Our preschool is housed in a one-story building separate from the upper grades of Balboa Academy. We have lots of classroom space and light, interesting materials, and an enormous playground. Children enjoy our setting, where they can be active and engaged in learning. The preschool schedule is Mondays – Fridays, 8:00 – 11:30.

Each of our teachers has a small group of three and four-year-olds. We find that mixed-age grouping helps students learn how to lead and to follow, how to communicate, and how to get along in a group. Mixed-age grouping also has the advantage of providing us with a seed group to begin each year. It helps greatly to have children who know our school, our teachers, and our ways. New students have “student guides” and teachers have helpers.

The Preschool Environment

We believe our preschool environment is a key part of our curriculum. Children at this age need to move about, choosing and using materials independently, interacting with other children and adults, and learning through their senses .

Each classroom is set up with learning centers, such as blocks, dramatic play, toys and games, art, sand and water. Materials are organized and available, so children can make decisions about where to be, who to play with, and what to work on. We also teach our students to pick up after play, which gives them responsibility for their school.

Students learn to work within the daily routine established in each classroom. Each day includes: large group, small group, teacher-directed, child choice, snack and outdoor play. A flexible routine is comforting for all of us, and children quickly learn what to expect of their school day.

Our Goals for Preschool Students

We want our students to leave preschool with the skills they need for success in kindergarten.

• First and foremost are self-help and social skills, such as self-confidence, self-control, and the ability to make and sustain friendships.

• We focus on communication skills – identifying and naming their interests, needs, and ideas, as well as listening while others speak. In many cases our students must also learn the English language and they receive a good beginning in preschool.

• We also direct our teaching to the development of large and small motor skills, and the acquisition of basic knowledge in the content areas.

curious and ask many questions. We encourage them to look for answers and support them in their search. This helps them develop critical thinking skills.

Preschool Content Areas

There are content areas which we cover regardless of the topic or long-term study that guides us. These content areas are:

• Literacy

• Math

• Science

• Social Studies

• The Arts

• Technology

Learning looks very different in preschool than it does in elementary school. When you visit a classroom, you might think that the only thing happening is play. But within the busy and colorful scene, students are learning in the content areas. Here are some examples:

-Circle time might include a story (literacy), a song (the arts), and a patterning activity (mathematics).

-Child choice time might include children in the block area building a model of our playground (social studies) and they might have built a slide which they test by sending toy cars down (science).

-During a long-term study of chairs, a group might start by making a web of all that they know about chairs (literacy)and then talk about the kinds of tools needed to build chairs (technology) or make a graph of the kinds of chairs found in our building (math).

In all of these examples, and throughout our preschool year, the teachers’ careful observation and planning transform typical moments of childhood play into rich learning experiences.

Another aspect that enriches our preschool is the inclusion of three weekly specials – music, media, and physical education. The preschool teacher takes the group to another building for class with a specialist in each of these areas. Children enjoy the opportunity to visit other areas on our campus and meet the expectations of a different teacher, while accompanied by their regular classroom teacher.