CLASS / CURRICULUM
Our school divides our students by their age. This is because during children's early development, there is a wide range of capabilities of each individual associated with different years of age.
We start bringing children out of the home and into the learning environment at the early age of around 2, when perspective students are encouraged to attend mommy and me sessions where the children begin adjusting to the social setting for a small portion of the day with a parent, and while moving into our youngest classroom (our Starfish), we adjust attendance time to allow for a smooth transition into greater independence.
While the depth and breadth of information covered changes with each class students move through, all the teacher incorporate lessons from 10 subject fields that are critical to knowledgeable development. Those fields include (with some example activities):
Social and Emotional development
Our teachers provide tangible recognition of emotional states at check-in times and passively throughout the day, with places and material for independent use whenever needed by the students to help mitigate and manage negative emotions. They also use group activities and small group activities to help children form and grow friendships, as well as jobs in some cases to feel accomplishment through responsibility.
Physical development
Our focus rests on development of gross and fine motor coordination using sports and outdoor challenges and games like obstacle courses help student hone their gross coordination, while activities like cooking, molding, and playing allow for development of finer motor skills.
Language development
We engage the children in linguistic skills development ranging form alphabet recognition exercises to self led conflict resolution circles, to learning new terminology relating to their roles in the classroom. We also love to expand the students vocabulary by practicing new words each week, as well as with new stories they are told.
Early Literacy
Each classroom has a variety of books available to their students with quite time opportunities for self led discovery, as well as group story times, song, dance, and rhyme sessions. There are also group times where children practice their language skills while educating their peers about their personal household cultural differences.
Early Mathematics
Children are given the opportunity to work on number ordering, numerical recognition tasks, as well as pattern recognition in the form of daily routine tasks. They also practice color, shape, and size identification.
Science
Our teachers work introduce our students to fundamental scientific concepts such as environmental causality explored through the life cycle of plants and insects, as well as the scientific method introduced to them using experiments where students observe, collect data, report findings, and come to conclusions basically on their own.
Technology
We like to use basic technology in scientific and art lessons, such as microscopes, magnifying glasses, and light boxes, so that children begin learning how technology integrates as a great tool improving results.
Creative Expression and the Arts
We believe deeply in the benefit of expression through art to assist children of such early ages to explore themselves. Art around the David School comes in many varieties and mediums. Children draw, paint, dance, act, and play music among other things in directed as well as self led activities.
Health and Safety
Children learn about heathy habits such as hand washing and teeth brushing, and are encouraged to do so as often as transitions between activities and food, or as often as they feel necessary. They also observe cleanliness' importance through demonstrations, and learn about dietary concepts.
Social Studies
Students are provided opportunities to teach and learn about different cultures through family practices, as well as experiencing acceptance through exposure to new cultural practices and experiences.
Our youngest non parent attended setting is our Starfish class. Each year students continue matriculating through our Sea Turtle classroom, and finally to the Dolphin class. By the time students graduate from our Dolphin class they are ready socially and academically for Kindergarten.