Children's Community School

From the Director:

The Children's Community School is a learning community in West Philadelphia that is rooted in a progressive approach to education, in which children and adults are valued as learners and teachers. The emphasis at our preschool, is on utilizing practices that educate the whole child, the emotional, social, physical, and intellectual being. At the CCS, we encourage students to use all of their learning resources, visual, kinesthetic, auditory, emotional and inter personal to explore, develop an awareness, strengthen connections and express understanding. We honor childhood and nourish students' strong sense of connectedness and engagement.

From the Director:

The program at the Children's Community School supports the development of all the necessary “academic” skills students need to be highly successful when they reach kindergarten. In addition, our teachers and our curriculum work to develop student's confidence, curiosity, social abilities, communication, and abstract reasoning skills that will serve them as they continue to learn, explore and contribute in our world. We integrate receptive and expressive practices–yoga, mindfulness practices, art– to support the child in bringing their whole self to the educational experience.

Our class are small and our teachers are masters level, experienced, caring educators. Every student is known and every developmental milestone is known. Teachers are well versed in national standards and early childhood best practices.

Teachers observe students as they play and engage with materials. They identify where students are and what the next steps are to support and challenge each student.

Our mission at the The Children's Community School is to create a learning community that honors and empowers children to engage their whole selves in education. Utilizing progressive education, we build a better society by fostering creativity, problem solving skills, communication skills, a sense of initiative, and a capacity to listen. We encourage students to engage their bodies, minds, and emotions, to make meaning, form relationships, and to develop an understanding of themselves as active members of community.

Each day at CCS has a pattern and predictable rhythm that children become familiar with. This supports the development of their sense of independence and self-regulation skills within the environment. We intentionally provide learning experiences that encourage the children to work together building community and relational skills.


Our teachers work carefully and intentionally towards establishing trusting and mutually respectful relationships with the children, families and within the group as a whole. As children develop a sense of belonging to a community they build a basis for an understanding of their connection to the world around them.

8:30-9:00- Arrival

Students arrive with their parents. Parents may want to play with students or read them a story to help them settle into the classroom environment.

9:00-9:10- Morning Meeting

The teacher guides the students in reading the morning message, taking attendance, singing, and sharing work from previous day. The teacher may also model the special project or activity of the day at this time. This is an opportunity for students to hone their noticing and listening skills, as well as to express themselves.

9:15-9:50- Work Time (Play and exploration is the work of this age group)

Students will choose to work in the block area, dress up, manipulatives, writing/drawing, water/sand table, or on a special project. Students will clean up or choose to save work. In their work they will be developing math, literacy, and academic skills and concepts.

9:55-10:15- Snack

Students, as members of our learning community, will help set up and clean up a healthy snack.

10:20-11:00 Special (Music or Movement)

In music, students are given the opportunity to play with, create and experience music with an emphasis on rhythm, rhyme, imagination and play. In movement, they will participate in structured play as they do stretching, yoga, dance and creative imitation of the world around them to promote and support motor development, listening skills, self-esteem and imagination. The integration of both quiet and active movement supports the child's innate capacity to utilize his/her body to understand the world around them. Our movement program encourages students to have a healthy relationship with their bodies, to move creatively, to reflect and to be present.

11:00-11:30 Outside play and exploration

Part of this time may be spent with free-play outside or on the playground. Some of this time may also be spent exploring the natural world or tending to a garden.

11:40-12:00 Lunch

12:00-12:30 Story and Good-bye circle

The purpose of this gathering is to notice, listen, share, take turns, express understanding, develop vocabulary, and enjoy the shared process of learning and discovering.

12:30 Dismissal

*Please note: for 2012-2013 we have a full time program, 8:30am - 2:30pm. Check the website or contact us for more information about the schedule for full time students.

Teachers write narratives twice a year and parent-teacher conferences are held twice a year. Teachers are in regular contact with parents and email out a weekly blog. This blog contains videos and photos of the students as well as descriptions of learning and activities.

Our blog address: http://learningatccs.blogspot.com/

Transition is a time when your child is learning to feel safe in a new space and secure with new adults. We make every effort to ease this transition and support families. We read home-made stories about our day, look at pictures of our families, and rely on a predictable schedule. Our goal is to support students so that accomplishing this milestone leaves them smiling with confidence and a secure sense of independence.