|
|
Walnut Country Preschool is a parent run, not for profit preschool, licensed by the State of California, Department of Social Services License # 073404935. We are located in The Crossings at Walnut Country, Concord, California. The preschool is a Non-profit 501c3 public benefit corporation. Philosophy - Goals - Other Info - Curriculum The purpose of our preschool is to prepare the preschool age child for a successful educational future. The preschool is operated on a nondiscriminatory basis, according equal treatment and access to services without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry. We provide a happy, loving, and secure learning environment where the children are exposed to a balanced variety of positive experiences. This kind of a learning environment promotes social, emotional, intellectual and physical development in each child. Walnut Country Preschool is a parent run program. Interested parents are given the opportunity to serve on a Parent Board. Parents are also given the opportunity to work in the classroom. Parents who work in the classroom share in their child's first school experience. This opportunity is encouraged though not required. Parents are able to choose for themselves how involved they want to be in the preschool. [top] The primary goal of the Preschool is to encourage social and language skill development. Further goals include helping the child develop a positive self-image, independence, acceptance of responsibilities, self-discipline, and self-expression. These goals shall help each child to sharpen theirs powers of observation to develop their initiative in learning, to improve their relationship with other children and adults other than parents, and to work independently as well as in a group. Walnut Country Preschool's program is planned, coordinated, and carried out by our highly qualified teaching staff that is fully educated according to the State of California Community Care Licensing requirements. Themes are chosen each month and special activities are planned relating to the themes. Children explore the themes through centers where they can play and work. The program is designed to ease the transition from home to the school environment. Under the guidance of our staff, the children are introduced to a school setting, which fosters self-expression, recognizes their uniqueness, and gives them a sense of pride in their accomplishments. [top] Preschool Hours · Three-year-old class is on Tuesday/Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 11: 00 a.m. · Four-year-old class is on Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. · Pre-K class is on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Holidays. Our school parallels Mt. Diablo School District's calendar. Our annual calendar is issued to all parents in September as well as monthly calendars and newsletters to remind you of upcoming events. [top] Walnut Country Preschool's curriculum is planned by our highly qualified teaching staff that is fully educated in Early Childhood Education according to California's licensing requirements. Walnut Country Preschool maintains an average adult/child ratio of 1:6. The program has been carefully developed over the last 20 years to best meet the needs of the child. Walnut Country Preschool's philosophy is that the best way for a child to learn is in a developmentally appropriate curriculum using hands-on activities. Teachers share responsibilities in three areas of the classroom and rotate these responsibilities monthly. The responsibilities include Circle Time and Science, Music/Story, or Art/Dramatic Play. Teachers follow a thematic curriculum and each month is planned around a specific theme with special activities relating to the theme. The classroom is divided into centers where the children are able to play and work. The following daily activities give the children freedom to explore within the guidelines of a safe and happy environment. Arrival. The Walnut Country Preschool staff greets the child and parent as they arrive. The children are encouraged to show their independence by hanging up their jackets, checking their assigned "cubbies", and placing things in their proper spot. The teachers will check the children for signs of illness upon arrival. Please see Illness Policy - Addendum A for further explanation. Circle Time. Circle Time is a planned group time with the teachers that gives the children an opportunity to develop language and listening skills. It is also a time for the children to share with the class. Circle Time may include music, finger plays, rhymes, stories, drama, games, movement, and dance. Motor Activities. Time is given during the day for children to play outside in the playground (weather permitting). Opportunities to climb, run, jump, skip, hop, throw, catch, and use their "outside" voices provide children with a healthy release and break from the quieter activities of the classroom. Being outside allows children to stretch their muscles, breathe in fresh air, take in sunshine, and enjoy the freedom of space. In inclement weather, a variety of indoor equipment provides for motor development. Toys and equipment are available which develop gross and fine motor skills and help in the child's achievement of muscular coordination and control. Arts and Crafts. The objective of our art program is to encourage children to express how they feel, think and view the world through developmentally appropriate art activities. Through involvement with a rich variety of art materials, the children learn to love the "process" and grow in confidence and pride in their creations. A free art center is also available where children can work on special projects using any, or all, of the materials available. These projects encourage self-expression, develop hand/eye coordination, provide opportunities for physical development, and are enjoyable and satisfying for young children. Discovery. Walnut Country Preschool's science center helps children learn about themselves and the world around them. Working together observing, exploring, and problem solving, the children are developing social skills. Through exploration of materials such as sand or water, children learn cause and effect relationships and math concepts, while refining their motor skills. We explore nature and the world through animals, books, cooking, and experiments. The Science Center also includes pets. Dramatic Play. Children use the dramatic play area to act out roles and in doing so they develop many new skills. They learn about themselves, their families and society around them. The children learn to ask and answer questions and to work together to solve problems. The "house corner" provides many opportunities for socio-emotional development, as children learn to be flexible and cooperate with others by negotiating roles and playing together. We include many "props" to encourage creativity and imagination in this center. Block Area. Blocks are ideal for children who wish to set the stage for dramatic play. In a short time they can become a puppet stage, a house, or a fire engine. Blocks provide a wealth of learning activities that allow children to acquire important concepts in math, science, geometry, social studies, and more. Children can work independently, or in a group, developing an understanding of concepts of length, height, weight, and area. Included in our large block area are several different types of blocks, as well as cars, trucks, people, houses, animals, and numbers of items to encourage imaginative play and learning. Music and Movement. At Walnut Country Preschool, music is an important part of the day. Music and movement are social activities that help children feel a part of the group. Through music and movement, children can express their feelings and improve their balance, coordination and rhythm. Music and movement provide an outlet for children's energy and high spirits. Our music center provides the children with instruments, records, tapes, and props for dancing and singing. Library Center, Writing Center and Story Time. Books are always available to the children. The library can be an oasis in the classroom-a place to get away from more active interest areas, relax in a soft environment, and enjoy the wonderful world of literature. Acquiring a love for books is one of the most powerful incentives for children to become readers. Our library center includes many wonderful books which are rotated each month, as well as flannel pieces for the children. to create their own stories, magnetic letters for spelling, marker and chalk boards for children who wish to write. These materials, along with our listening post, a puppet theater, and the storytelling by the teachers, promote literacy skills (reading, writing, and communication). There is also an adjacent "writing center" where children have materials to extend their writing skills and create their own stories. Our daily music and story time is a chance for all the children to learn to sit attentively while the teacher reads a story or tells a flannel story, and teaches the children rhymes and finger plays. Table Toys. The Table Toys Center is filled with games, manipulatives, and puzzles, which children can play with at a table or on the floor. This center offers children a quiet activity to do alone or with a friend or teacher. Rich in texture, color and shape, table toys offer children challenging opportunities to learn new skills. Working with the materials enables children to develop eye hand coordination and work on emerging math skills such as seriating and matching, and to build skills in problem solving. Fine muscle control is refined as children string beads or construct with interlocking cubes. The children develop self-confidence when they successfully complete tasks such as puzzles or other self-correcting toys. [top]
|
