To help each child develop a positive self awareness. To achieve this we:

• use language which affirms the individuality of each person;
• respect and accept the ideas and creative expressions of each child;
• use anger management and conflict resolution techniques to prevent and settle disputes.

To invite and encourage children to think creatively, to use all their senses and become actively involved in learning. To achieve this we:

• offer a wide variety of materials with which to work;
• offer varied experiences, age appropriate to the child;
• offer times when the child may plan and lead in such experiences.

To expose each child to the excitement of learning. To achieve this we:

• integrate art, music, and story
• change the focus of the interest centers regularly to reflect the interest of the children
• emphasize experiences meaningful and relevant to the children

To actively support children’s development and provide occasions for children to acquire important knowledge and skills. To achieve this we:

• offer a balance between children’s self-initiated learning and adult guidance
• build upon the children’s existing competencies.
• present a range of activities, materials and learning experiences to promote the development of knowledge and understanding, processes and skills, as well as the dispositions to use and apply skills.

Language Arts: The children will be introduced to beginning consonant sounds. They will be printing letters, beginning with uppercase letters and advancing to lowercase letters. They will compose stories. They will dictate stories for their paintings, and learn basic grammar in doing so. Understandings gained through discussion and researching factual books form the backbone of the language arts program. Language arts experiences are closely tied to social studies, science and mathematics.

Early Reading: The children will enjoy poetry, finger plays, and simple stories posted on language charts. They will ‘read’ from books created in the classroom. The children will be introduced to word recognition skills by reading pictures for context clues, examining beginning consonants, ending consonants, and rhymes. A poetry book, illustrated by each child, will be compiled and sent home so that the child may share these poems with their parents.

Mathematics: Children print number symbols, match number symbols to quantities and estimate quantities. They will be introduced to the principals of measurement. They will count to 100 by 1’s, 5’s, and 10’s. They will investigate the properties of numbers 1-10 and begin the process of adding and subtracting using concrete objects. They will graph number stories and will create number patterns.

Music: The children will sing, dance, move to music and enjoy drama. The kindergarten children enjoy this experience twice weekly for 30 minutes per session. Our music program supports the mathematical concepts of patterning and counting.

Art: Each week a 45 minute period of art focuses upon the social studies, literature, or science projects which the children are undertaking. Through art, the children give back their understandings enabling teacher and parents to listen to the child’s assumptions about how their world works. Number work, language arts, literary understandings regarding fact or fiction emerge through their dictated stories. Crafts and drawing also occur on a daily basis as part of readiness work in preparation for Grade One.

Physical Education: Two thirty minute sessions per week are scheduled in the gym. Gym time allows for experimentation with a variety of equipment such as balls, hoops, beanbags, and balloons in a variety of ways. Games are taught which require co-operation, listening, and playing within the rules.

Freeplay Time: Our small group setting provides a unique opportunity for children to come together as a community recognizing and appreciating individual differences. A small setting builds confidence and increases socialization opportunities, as well as providing support for readiness skills.

Early Intervention Services: Children requiring early intervention programs receive timely, consistent, and effective services from qualified speech, occupational, and physical therapists as well as qualified educational assistants.