Preschool

 

CURRICULUM

Our curriculum at MCPC emphasizes play and hands-on experience. The curriculum revolves around a monthly theme, with planned daily activities that build upon the theme. Activities include:

  • Child-centered art projects, easel painting, and play-dough

  • Children's cooking and food-preparation projects from many different cultures

  • Outdoor play, such as climbing, digging, running, and ball games

  • Science and nature projects, including gardening and animals to observe

  • Reading books in our library area

  • Musical activities and instruments

  • Pretend play

  • Movement and dance

  • Sand, water table, and seed table play

  • Building toys and manipulatives, such as puzzles, blocks, and trains

  • Carpentry projects

  • Guest visitors and field trips


Inclusive by Design

Inclusivity is integral to our curriculum. Our school community changes each year as we welcome new families with different backgrounds, places of origin, family structures, and interests. These differences provide an opportunity for integration of diversity and inclusion into everything we do, acknowledging and honoring different races, abilities, religions, genders, social class, and family structures. We have designed our programs to help our students develop the skills necessary to identify and counter the hurtful impact of social bias. Some of the ways we incorporate this into our curriculum include:

  • Comparing and celebrating the same and different

  • “I Am Special” self-portraits exploring skin color & body color

  • Multicultural month with parent and family speakers

  • Holiday celebrations that highlight the many different ways we celebrate

  • A diverse library highlighting many different backgrounds and social justice themes

  • Spanish is integrated into the morning, and an optional Spanish Enrichment program

PLAY-BASED & HANDS-ON LEARNING BENEFITS

Through these types of play, our programs develop and satisfy a child's natural desire to learn, so they may gain:

  • Social skills

  • Self-reliance

  • Conflict resolution skills

  • Cooperation

  • Emotional regulation

  • Impulse control

  • Problem-solving skills

  • Readiness for formal learning

  • Respect for others and the environment

Daily Schedule

9:00 am Children arrive at school.
Free choice of play activities, indoors and outdoors. Children prepare and eat snack at their leisure with adult assistance.

11:00 am Circle time.
Children sing songs, act out stories from the morning, learn fingerplays, and talk. We also celebrate birthdays and host a variety of guests at this time.

11:15 am Balloon Groups
Combined-age children break into small groups and focus on movement & dance, gross motor activities, or hands-on discovery (science projects).

11:30 am Children continue outside play.

11:45 am Closing circles.
Age-divided circles in which children discuss important events or issues that came up during the day, hear a story, and then say good-bye with a song.

12:00 pm School ends for most children.
Children are picked up by a parent, guardian, or designated caregiver. Lunch for working parents’ children and children staying for extended day or Spanish enrichment program.

Optional Extended Day
T/Th, 12-3 pm
M/W, 12-3 pm (Spanish Enrichment for 2nd & 3rd year children)