Our School Day

Preschool Schedule:

3-year-olds (Bears)

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 9:30-12:00 

4-year-olds (Dinos)

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 9:30-1:00

A Typical Day at ECP

9:30-9:45  Welcome Gathering

Parents and children begin the day in the gathering room.  Parents read books to the children; students greet one another.  The teacher begins with a song and welcomes everyone to preschool.  We talk about the seasons and the weather and other key concepts we're working on, then demo examples of the various activities for the day.

9:45-11:10  Choice Time

A large part of the day is child-directed.  Children have a variety of opportunities to explore, use their imaginations, manipulate materials, and create things.  Choices include but are not limited to:  art projects, sensory activities, science exploration, block and large motor play, cars and trains, dress-up and dramatic play, prepare-your-own-snack, creation station, etc.

11:10-11:15  Clean Up Time

The children are invited to help put away playdough, tidy the writing station, and do general straightening up. Helping with clean-up builds skills and also helps them build a view of themselves as capable of contributing to the community.

11:15-11:30  Group Time

Group time consists of discussions, math, reading stories, and sharing among peers. Music time includes rhymes, singing, and playing simple instruments.

 11:30-12:00  Outside Play

There is a wonderful play area, fully fenced, with a large swing set with a slide and tire swing, two play houses, a real boat, a large sandbox, a circular bike path, and playground equipment, including tricycles, balance bikes, sand tractors, trucks, shovels and toys, and balls. The Bears end their day outdoors. 

12:00-1:00  Dino Time

The older children (those who were 4 or 5 when the school year began) stay for an additional hour each day. They will first eat lunch together, which gives them a chance to practice their conversational skills. Then they may do literacy-building activities, science experiments, or more advanced projects.

Field Trips

The children participate in field trips approximately once every other month.  All field trips involve stimulating educational opportunities for the children and their families.

Toddler Program

Information about the 2's schedule is here.