PROGRAMS

MORNING
Our morning begins with a 15-minute period of free time in which parents may stay in the classroom to help their child settle into school. At about 9 am the children gather for morning meeting to check the calendar, discuss our plans for the day and touch on some elements of our social studies curriculum.

Next we have an extended playtime in which children move freely among the art supplies, block building, fantasy play, sand or water tables, language and math materials, puzzles, small manipulatives and our reading area. Teachers support the children's growth in making choices, managing materials and making the most of social interactions. Snack is offered mid-morning; the children come to the table individually when they decide they are ready for something to eat. Snack offers an opportunity for children to attend to their own needs and to converse in small groups at the snack table.

We clean up together and then go outdoors to our adjoining playground for exercise and fresh air. Teachers supervise and support the outdoor play and social interaction. The morning program ends back indoors with a group story or song.

LUNCH TIME
Lunch is an enjoyable and relaxed social time. It also provides opportunities for children to practice competence in daily living skills, to learn social norms for group meals and to develop awareness of nutritional choices. After lunch there is usually time for a story or song. Then it is time for the 3-4's to sing goodbye.

AFTERNOON (4-5's only)
Our older 4's and young 5's stay for an extended afternoon, a time when we focus on developmental skills, such as language and numbers. It is a time for structured group activities similar to those the children will experience in kindergarten: group block-building assignments; measuring and graphing activities; art activities and games that teach letter sounds or provide practice in counting; patterning; and adding and subtracting. We also work on the social challenges that are intensified by the increasingly complex social interactions specific to four and five year-olds.

SUMMER CAMP
Columbus Park West offers summer camp for 5-6 weeks from the end of June through July. Camp is a wonderful opportunity for your child to continue to enjoy the routine, the learning and the socialization of school. The summer program is more relaxed than the academic school year with less structure and more free time, including daily dips in the pools set up in the outdoor space. It is a nice way for graduating students to ease their separation from the school, and for incoming students to get comfortable here before the school year begins. You may register your child for as many weeks as you choose.