PRESCHOOL
Warm and nurturing - a safe and secure place to learn - our preschool (two-year-olds through Kindergarten) reflects the belief that because each child grows according to his or her own rate and pattern, each class must incorporate activities for individual levels of readiness. Our preschool classes, building on the children's own knowledge and questions, help students brainstorm, inquire, classify, and cooperate - all in an atmosphere of playful discovery and multi-sensory experiences.
Our teachers recognize that the love of learning encompasses many learning styles. The preschool program offers young children a rich resource of activities within each classroom where risks are encouraged and every child is respected. We offer five unique programs: Acorns (two-year-olds), KinderKlasse (threes), Montessori (three-five-year-olds) Prekindergarten (four-year-olds), and full-day Kindergarten. Math, language arts, handwriting, science, and social studies are neatly tucked into all themes or projects throughout the year in all preschool classes.
Specials classes like Library, Art, Music, and Drama build on classroom themes, and while each program enjoys various grade level "culminations," one very special, all-preschool event is the Preschool Art Show where over 500 pieces of art are matted and displayed in the Fine Arts Wing, showcasing student creativity.
Because we are the first school experience for many children and their families, we engage in frequent parent communication and encourage a feeling of community within the school. Evaluation tools include conferences, daily documentation, informal classroom observation, and regular skills assessment.
The goal of Preschool is to provide al the tools for students to walk confidently from the preschool hallway into Lower School.
ACORNS
What is it like to be two? Just ask our wonderful teachers of Acorns, The Lexington School’s program for two year olds, and they will tell you all you need to know. Two year olds love to sing, dance, climb, and run. They are sensory seekers, so they explore their environment intent upon finding colors, shapes, textures, sounds, and smells, and it is in this way that they learn. Acorns is the beginning, and the beginning has to be strong, so our every effort is on starting them down a path of curiosity and love of learning that starts at two and spans a lifetime. Finally, but equally important, Acorns love a good hug and a big smile, and in Acorns, there are plenty of those to go around too! Two teachers to a maximum of 12 children per session. Special classes in PE/Spanish, Art, Music, Baby Yoga, Spanish, and Library. Admission priority for siblings and legacies, then waiting list based on application date. All children must be two years old to enter the program with priority given to those who are two years old by August 1st.
KINDERKLASSE
Two fully-qualified teachers work with eighteen curious three year olds for either a half day or full day, providing them with a nurturing and caring environment while promoting the children’s social, emotional, and cognitive growth. The teachers’ primary goal is to instill a love of learning that will continue throughout their educational experience. Songs, clapping patterns, rain sticks, and visual tricks, such as the use of trays and placemats to identify personal space, are just a few of the “tricks of the trade” that are second nature to the teachers. Apples, balls, shoes…what do these three things have in common? They are each topics of exploration and discovery in KinderKlasse because they all begin with a concept a child understands. Balls may seem like a simple thing to study, but for three year olds, it makes perfect sense. Fun, adventurous, and tasty (yes, balls can be tasty – keep reading), an exploration of balls provides sensory experiences that range from simple to complex. KinderKlassers study the various types, textures, and shapes of balls, they research public opinion on balls through surveys, and they learn from “visiting experts” on balls. In a recent project on balls, one expert cut open a baseball to reveal a mile of string inside, one expert juggled balls, and Mr. Parlanti, chef extraordinaire, taught the art of making meatballs! You never know how many ways to look at one object until you are a KinderKlasse student! And this is just one example of a preschool curriculum that naturally engages the three-year-old developing mind. KinderKlasse is a big deal, and all seven of their teachers make sure it is worthwhile. Even our three year olds change classes. Once a day, they go to one of several “special” classes taught by specialist teachers they will grow to know and love over the next several years. As part of our philosophy of “teaching courage,” all of our preschool students are exposed to presentation and performance not only as spectators but as performers themselves. Even our three year olds perform in front of live audiences at least three times per year.
PREKINDERGARTEN
The prekindergarten team of four, fully-qualified teachers coordinates a program based on play and discovery that emphasizes social development, empowering children, and building independence. The teachers plan themes and projects that incorporate academics through play and relevant, developmentally appropriate, hands-on experiences. Everyday Math, Handwriting Without Tears, and phonemic awareness activities provide appropriate math and literary experiences. Each child is respected as an individual with his or her own style of learning, and the curriculum is tailored to allow the children to simultaneously challenge themselves and experience many successes. Project work is a big focus during the prekindergarten year. It capitalizes on our mission skills by promoting curiosity, creativity, teamwork, ethics, time management, and resilience. The content of a project is drawn from the children’s world, and the work revolves around their questions. In a recent project on water, the prekindergarten students painted with water, waded through creeks on the property, surveyed the school about water, experimented with water pressure, and learned from visiting experts. Every day was full of discovery and excitement as children got their questions about water answered and thought of more things they wanted to investigate. Life is a circus…for four years olds at The Lexington School! Circus is one of the many themes that prekindergarten children explore during their prekindergarten year at The Lexington School. This interdisciplinary theme allows children to make the tickets, sell the popcorn, and perform in front of a live audience. Combine circus action with “specials” classes in art, music, Spanish, P.E. and library, and you have the most complete preschool curriculum in the region. Creativity, exploration and discovery, and a true love of learning …these are the cornerstones of The Lexington School prekindergarten curriculum and philosophy.
KINDERGARTEN
Who’s Razzle Dazzle this week? It could be your child. In Kindergarten, everyone takes a turn as Razzle Dazzle kid of the week, the child who is the star, who shares his/her life story, and who is chronicled by classmates in a personal biography. Individualizing each child’s potential…that is what The Lexington School does best. Kindergarten is the true start to the academic program at The Lexington School. With the philosophy that four heads are better than one, the kindergarten team enjoys planning an emerging literacy and math program together. Journeys, Everyday Math, and Handwriting Without Tears are an integral part of the program. With a maximum of 12 students per class, the kindergarten teachers design the class in a way that allows each child to reach his/her full potential. Kindergarten has a unique structure where students are in individual classrooms with one teacher for the academic part of the day and then enjoy opening the door between two classrooms to expand the environment and number of friends during the free choice part of the day. Adhering to a developmental philosophy, Kindergarten maintains an active learning focus, which gives children what they need individually and also keeps learning creative, fun, and fresh. “Specials” classes, which are taught by specialist teachers, increase in number in Kindergarten; students travel to science, drama, art, music, Spanish, P.E., and library, so Kindergartners have eight teachers on a weekly basis. That is a complete program! And don’t forget the focus on presentation and performance at The Lexington School. We teach courage, and what that means in Preschool is allowing our Kindergartners the opportunity to get up in front of each other and live audiences throughout the year. Our Kindergartners have fun taking risks, and they are growing each day in their curiosity and confidence, ready at year end to move to the Lower School and begin their first grade adventure!
MONTESSORI
It is a family way of learning – three through five year olds coexist through work and play in a way that reminds one of a sibling mentoring relationship. So much can happen for the individual child in Montessori because she can work in her own way alongside other individuals who have the same interests and the same pace. That is the Montessori way. Dr. Maria Montessori recognized that very young children go through periods of great sensitivity in particular areas during which they learn more easily than any time in their lives. She believed that it is important to educate the senses and then the intellect. Simple tasks like washing tables and polishing mirrors are performed from left to right, serving as a precursor to writing. Arranging strands of 10-unit beads lays the groundwork for algebraic equations. Students are given latitude to decide which projects to tackle and which interests to pursue in the six areas of the classroom – practical life, sensorial, math, language, geography, and science. Two fully-qualified Montessori instructors facilitate learning in an active, structured, and nurturing environment, stretching each child to reach his/her own potential. While The Lexington School’s Montessori program uses the American Montessori method, the students go to “specials” classes outside the Montessori classroom that run the gamut: physical education, Spanish, art, library, music, drama, and science, and in the kindergarten year, our Montessori students are exposed to the same curriculum they will experience in First Grade, a leg up in terms of their transition to the Lower School. The Lexington School’s Montessori is the best of both worlds!
GOALS
OBJECTIVES
DAYS ARE PLANNED SO THAT CHILDREN WILL:
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Be safe
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Feel loved and secure
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Receive individual attention and affection
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Develop fulfilling relationships with other children and adults
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Develop self-discipline and respect for others
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Experience success
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Be kind
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Embrace the mission skills of teamwork, creativity, ethics, resilience, curiosity, and time management
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Value each child as an individual
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Provide opportunities for children to gain confidence
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Understand and meet the developmental needs of each child socially, emotionally, physically, and academically
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Foster a love of learning
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Encourage children to become active participants in their learning through play and discovery
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Teach critical thinking skills, decision making, and conflict resolution
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Encourage risk-taking in a nurturing environment
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Provide an environment in which each child can develop to his or her fullest potential
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Encourage parental involvement through a variety of activities
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Encourage in children an acceptance of others through the establishment of a classroom community
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Continually develop teacher expertise by observation, research, and professional development opportunities