Class size will be limited to 20 children. Two teachers and one assistant will conduct this class. A child who is four years old by January 1 will be considered first to fill classes.
We desire to provide a quality, educational, preschool experience for each child at Sonshine Preschool. We are committed that each child feel loved without strings and that they know they are unique and gifted. Curriculum is what we teach but in a Christian environment is how we teach it. In the Pre-K class we provide an interdisciplinary approach with Biblical teaching and character building.
Children are put into small groups called “work stations” and each activity is carefully prepared by the teachers. The children like to be actively involved and when creating the curriculum the needs of each child are considered first. Here at Sonshine we use the cycle of Intentional Teaching. - Art is a very important part of the curriculum. The children are very active in making their own art creations. The teacher will demonstrate the art activity for the day and the students will follow directions and also use their own imagination. Many art projects allow for freedom with the art supplies to encourage the child to use their imagination. We continue to develop fine motor skills such as cutting, painting, and experiencing many art form. The children’s art is always displayed throughout the room and decorates the hallways.
- Language Development includes letter and sound recognition, rhyming, writing, matching, thinking skills, sequencing events and listening to stories. Books are a central part of the curriculum and each week the teachers go to the library and make sure the shelves at Sonshine are rich in literature from every genre.
- Math is taught through various approaches. The children count each day, learn new numbers, and play games to develop math skills and number sense. Some math games include counting, sorting objects and placing objects in categories. These techniques are very fun.
- Science is a favorite center at Sonshine. You will find science across the disciplines in every lesson. Science experiments help children explore their surroundings. We discuss bugs, animals, rocks, trees, flowers, weather, and much more. We even take the children on a nature walk and allow the children the opportunity to tell us about what they discovered. Magnets, water, and the five senses are just some of the topics the children always seem to enjoy.
- Cooking experiences are included in the curriculum. We learn about the food groups and about making healthy choices when choosing food to eat. Math skills are reinforced by measuring ingredients. Often graphs and charts are used to help the children show their favorite food choices. The children make a cook book of the things they have made and it is taken home at the end of the year.
- Dramatic plan and music and movement encourages free expression and also allows the children to use their imagination. Children are given many opportunities on a daily basis to use the puppets, dress up clothes, blocks and many others. The dramatic play area often is transformed according to the weeks curriculum. It might become a bakery, a store, a hospital, the mail room, Dairy Queen, Dunkin Doughnuts, Florist, Japanese Tea Room, or Pizza Shop where the children can experience different jobs that they can perform. Music is very important part of the day. We use music to teach the children their alphabet, numbers, shapes, days of the week, and the months of the year. The children perform at the Thanksgiving Feast, Christmas Pageant and The Mother’s Day Tea where they sing for the audience. The children love to perform for their friends and family.
- Physical Development is also included each day through using large muscle play on our playground or the children will play in the large muscle room. We use big balls, basket ball hoops, a balance beam, seesaw, parachutes, tunnels, jump ropes, and kick balls, and many other games for the children to get actively involved in their physical environment. Racing is very popular at Sonshine.
One on one instruction is provided for children that need the “extra” instruction or help before entering kindergarten. Children are assessed three times a year and help is provided when needed. Our teachers are very dedicated to teaching young children and helping them be the best they can be. Conferences are offered in January and are available at any time during the year when one is requested. CURRICULUM The four year old curriculum follow the standards set by the State of Connecticut. We pursue excellence in making sure each child receives the best education possible to prepare them for kindergarten. - SEPTEMBER: This month is so exciting. It’s All About Me! We talk about our bodies and our feelings. We meet Miss “Bee Polite” and learn about our manners and our school rules. Then we learn that God put us in families and that is part of his plan to take care of us. We make amazing family posters that we hang up in our hallway for all our friends to see. We bring in pictures of our homes and begin learning our addresses and phone numbers. Then we learn about our friends and how they are like us but different. Friends talk about their problems and help each other. Our color is red, our letters are A,B,C and numbers 1 and 2 and our shape is a rectangle.
- OCTOBER: We learn the number 3, the letters D, E, &F, and our color is orange. We discuss Columbus Day, fall, pumpkins, experience social awareness by learning about our neighborhood helpers, fire safety, traffic symbols and we have a visit from the fire truck and the police. For cooking we make applesauce and pumpkin muffins in the classroom. We take a field trip to Bishops Farm with our families and enjoy apple picking and a hay ride. We also have an Ice Cream Social Family Night during October.
- NOVEMBER: Our fun with food month! We learn about nutrition, discuss Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, pilgrims & Indians .We have picture day at the beginning of the month and have a Thanksgiving Feast at the end of the month. The children make costumes to wear at the feast. Our family are invited to the feast and we make turkey soup and our delicious pumpkin muffins we made at school. The color of the month is brown , the letters, G, H, & I the number is 4 and the triangle shape is learned.
- DECEMBER: We experience Christmas with our five senses. We taste it, smell it, feel it, see it, and listen to it. We practice our music for the Christmas pageant which is preformed before the holiday break. We discuss the colors green and gold, the letters J and K , the numbers 5 and the star shape. During December we have our hearing and vision screening and make gifts for the Hartford Rescue Mission.
- JANUARY: We ring in the year by learning about hibernation, winter animals, penguins, polar bears, weather & snow and ice. We also learn about Martin Luther King. We end the month with a unit on Day and Night, the phases of the moon, and nocturnal animals. The children can wear their pj’s to school and bring a bear. We have breakfast together and discuss and experience different grains such as wheat, corn, and rice. We have a visit from our dental hygienist and learn the importance of tooth brushing. Our letters are L, M & N , number is 6 , and colors are black and white. Our shapes are crescent and sphere.
- FEBRUARY: Oh we love this month! We discuss Ground Hog Day, Presidents Day, and Heart Science which is the importance of having a healthy heart. We have a Valentine Party. We also “Travel Around the World” learning that God Loves the Children of the World. We “visit” China, Mexico and Australia. We make foods from these countries and learn about the geography, customs, families, art, music and holidays of that culture. We talk about the letters O,P & Q and the number is 7, the color pink and our shape is heart. We also LOVE books and have a field trip to the Wallingford Public Library.
- MARCH: We talk about birds and their nests and we learn firsthand about the life cycle of a chick by hatching eggs. This is very exciting and a favorite event here at Sonshine Preschool. We experience the life cycle of a plant by planting vegetables and flowers and watching them grow, insects, butterflies and frogs. Our letters are R,S, & T and our number is 8 and our shape is oval and color is purple. We celebrate Saint Patricks Day and Spring.
- APRIL: We begin the month talking about Easter and Jesus. We have an Easter Egg hunt and see the power of “new life” by watching our eggs hatch. We learn about the care and needs of animals by taking care of the chicks and watching them grow. We discuss farm animals and have a visit from a farmer who brings in exciting small farm animals to see and touch like a pig, a bunny and a rooster.
- After Spring break we learn about dinosaurs. Our letters are U,V, & W, colors are tan and gray, number is 9 and shape is diamond.
- MAY: During this month we discuss Transportation. We also learn about bike safety and host our own Trike-A-Thon for Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital. We discuss opposite, the importance of our mother’s, and learn about animals and their mothers. In cook and make foods in the classroom for The Mother’s Day Tea which is held the Friday before Mother’s Day. Our letters are X,Y,&Z , numbers are 0 & 10, shape is octagon, and color is yellow.
- JUNE: Our last month of school. This month we discuss Father’s Day, have Dad’s Day In and take a field trip to Imagine Nation in Bristol. We discuss summer, water, bubbles, bath time, and the ocean. Our color is blue and we have a Beach Day. The year ends with a graduation that is held in the evening. The children sing and graduation certificates are handed out to the children. Afterwords, we have refreshments. To end the preschool year, we always have a picnic. This is a great opportunity for the children to spend a little more time with their friends before summer begins. Each child must be accompanied by an adult.
DAILY SCHEDULE 8:00 – 8:50 Arrival ,Hand washing and Free Choice 8:50 – 9:20 Centers 9:20 – 9:25 Clean up 9:25 – 9:55 Circle Time 9:55 – 10:40 Workstations (rotation of small groups to language, art , and math) 10:40 Bathroom and hand washing 10:50 Snack 11:00 Bible Story 11:15 Large Motor 11:40 Library/Story Time 11:55 Celebrate the Day 12:00 Dismissal of Half Day Students 12:05 Tootie tot (gym time) 12:25 Hand Washing for lunch 12:30 Lunch 12:50 Bathroom 1:00 Rest Time/ Nappers may sleep until 3:00 2:00 Art, Games, Dramatic Play,Blocks, Music, Manipulatives 2:30 Dismissal of Full Day Students 3:15 Snack 3:30 Story Time 3:45 Large Motor 4:45 Table Games 5:15 Closing LEARNING CENTERS - FREE PLAY: Children will have an opportunity to choose a variety of activities (free play) every day, including manipulative, dramatic play, blocks, library, science table, and cooperative play. This time is also for the creative activity of the day, connected with the day’s lesson plan.
- GROUP TIME: Periods of quiet alternating with periods of activity, pledge of allegiance, weather, calendar, story time, show and tell, games, songs, musical instruments, finger plays, conversations, and other activities for the group together.
- ARTS AND CRAFT: Challenging gross and fine motor activities, hand-eye coordination with all kinds of painting (easel, finger, water color, feather, string etc.) cutting, gluing, pasting, including collage items.
- SENSORY: Activities with play-doh, water play, games and small manipulative play.
- LANGUAGE AND MATH: Activities which includes readiness activities (basic colors, shapes, math skills, matching and change of seasons.
- OUTDOOR PLAY AND LARGE MUSCLE ROOM: Teachers encourage outside play, weather permitting. A variety of equipment is provided for children to develop their bodies and coordination with climbing, crawling, and sliding. Sandbox, balance beam and tunnel crawl develop gross motor skills. The muscle room is used when the children are unable to go outside. Race and soccer balls are used in the hallways. We will not go out if it is raining, snowing, or too cold. The staff will decide to limit outdoor play due to weather or safety concerns. Bring your child’s boots if it is a nice winter day.
BULLETIN BOARD Throughout the year, teachers will post monthly newsletters and lesson plans in this section of the wevsite so parents may know what stories and activities are taking place in their child’s classroom. This information will also be posted on the bulletin board outside the classroom. Newsletters are written and sent home with students at the beginning of each month. Snack lists are also posted. Please read newsletter and check our calendar for important dates. (This calendar should connect them back to the calendar under programs)
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