A Day at Grace Preschool
The average day starts with the children arriving between 9:00 - 9:15 a.m. During this time, the children practice writing their names, use the restroom, and enjoy free play time in the classroom.
This is transitioned to Circle-Time. During Circle-Time, the children sit on their mats on the rug to listen to the teacher. This activity starts with prayer before moving on to the calendar work; studying the day, date, month and season. The weather is documented and the Pledge of Allegiance is recited. A story is then read to segue to the day's lessons. Finally, the lesson is introduced, whether it is the new letter of the week, a prominent figure in history, or the science of plants, animals, or weather.
It's hard to sit still for so long, so Circle-Time is broken up by Song & Dance. This gives the children a chance to stand up and "get the wiggles out". They do such songs as Hokey-Pokey, Jungle Boogie, or even "The Macaroni".
By 10:00, we are ready to start Centers. The children are placed in groups of three. These groups take turns visiting each station of Centers. Two of these stations are teacher assisted learning. The third station is independent learning, and the forth station is dramatic and free play on the rug. Each station lasts for about 15 minutes before the children rotate stations. This enables each child to visit all four stations every day.
By 11:15, all the stations have been visited, and the children work together to clean up the play and independent stations. One child is chosen to assist in setting the tables for snack, and the children can line up for Recess. If time permits, a game such as Toss Across or Follow the Leader is enjoyed.
Recess is free play time in the upstairs great room. Here the children can run, jump, skip, shoot baskets, or climb. Occasionally, relay races will be added for organized play and to teach new skills. Recess lasts until 12:00, when the children line up to return to their classroom to wash their hands and sit down for a lunch that they brought from home.
The children sit and wait for everyone to wash their hands and Grace is said before the children eat. This is an excellent time for the children to practice their lunchroom etiquette and quiet conversation with their friends.
By 12:30 all children are cleaning up their trash from snack, washing their hands and lining up to pack up. The children gather their work from their cubbies and place them in their backpacks along with their empty lunch boxes. While waiting for their friends to pack up, they sit quietly on their mats while looking at books.
Just before they line up to leave at 12:45, the children are offered a chance to check-out a library book. These books may be borrowed overnight with a one-book-per-child limit.