Small Friends School

From the Director:

The foundation of our preschool curriculum is based on the value of relationship, language, play and investigation. We use the guidelines established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children as the backbone in our efforts. We see children as active learners who learn best through direct interaction, exploration, investigation and play. The environment is set up to reflect this viewpoint. Children have access to a wide variety of activities - blocks, water table, texture table, dress-up, paint, play dough, writing, stories - and the teachers engage in these activities with the children to listen, observe, ask questions and extend their thinking. Our kindergarten program is an extension of this philosophy. It is, by nature, a more academic approach but concepts are always presented in hands-on, developmentally appropriate contexts. Curriculum is based on the Oregon Department of Education's goals and guidelines. Children have focused math and literacy time and science/health/social studies concepts are integrated. Music is integrated daily, art is both integrated and taught separately and children go to PE once a week. We visit the library weekly as well.

From the Director:

We believe that children enter our doors eager to learn. It is our job to guide that learning, insuring that they are equipped with the social, intellectual and emotional skills they need for success in elementary school. We recognize that every child has his/her own unique learning style and pace and we value a full range of strengths and abilities.

Preschool: Each classroom has up to 18 children with 2 full-time teachers and 2 parent volunteers. While parents facilitate pre-prepared activities with pairs of children, teachers move throughout the room and engage with children in a variety of ways. They might assist a child at the writing center with letter-writing, read stories to a small group of children on the couch, help students at the invention table work through construction challenges or assist children in social problem-solving. In all cases, assistance is given based on the individual child and what they need at that particular time. Concepts are introduced as children demonstrate readiness for them and ranges in development are valued and respected.

Kindergarten: This curriculum is more teacher-directed but still includes opportunities for children to pursue topics of their own interest. Math concepts are presented in a specific sequence and revisited throughout the year. Literacy concepts are presented in a variety of contexts and children have ample opportunity to read, write and communicate effectively. Instruction is individualized and our goal is that each child makes a year's growth in a year's time.

We believe children are active, capable and willing participants in their education for life. Children learn within the context of relationships. Children learn through active exploration and investigation and develop skills in social and natural learning situations. Children are active \"meaning-makers\" of their world who effectively use play, active exploration and investigation, problem solving, observation, prediction, and other skills to construct their own understanding of the world around them.

Preschool: Children arrive with their families, check in and enter the classroom. Parents are welcome to walk their children in and help them get settled into the room. For the first 1.5 hours, children are given time to play and explore. There are a variety of activities that are available every day (blocks, painting, writing, reading, play dough, dress-up, dolls/house area, invention table, puzzles, texture table, water table), and others that change every few days depending on current themes and interests of the children. During this time, children also rotate through 2 parent-facilitated activities in the areas of art and math/science. These activities are completely prepared for parents before the start of the school day.
When exploration time is over, everyone helps to clean the room and then children gather together at the rug for songs, stories, movement and other literacy-building activities. This is followed by snack, outside play time and a closing song.

Kindergarten: Children check in, come together on the rug for singing, and go over the schedule for the day. They have about 60 minutes of math time, go outside (or into the gym room) to play, come in and have a snack, have 30 mintues of literacy activities, 30 minutes of free choice, and end the day with about 30 more minutes of literacy activities. Science, social studies, health, music and art are integrated frequently and intentionally. PE is offered once each week.

Because parents bring their children to school, they have daily opportunities to see what's happening in the classroom and visit with the teachers. Our preschool families receive monthly class and school newsletters. Kindergarteners receive weekly newsletters, Friday Folders with work samples and the monthly school newsletter. Kindergarten families also receive report cards 3 times during the year, two of which include a parent/teacher conference.

Parent volunteering is required for our preschool program, which gives parents a wonderful opportunity to be part of the classroom about once a month. There is no better way to see what your child is doing at school! Volunteering is not a requirement for our kindergarten program but parents are always welcome in the classroom.

We know that separation anxiety is a very real part of early childhood education experiences and are very supportive of both the child and the parents as we navigate through this together. We do not have a specific protocol for helping children with separation anxiety. Rather, we have a variety of strategies that we apply based on what works for individual families. These include parents spending time with the child in the classroom, teachers or parents helping children get engaged upon entering the room, or time on the couch to cuddle and read. Please know that if this is a challenge for your child, we will work through it effectively and supportively together.