Program Philosophy and

Curriculum Goals

Spiritually by

· Feeling secure in God's love and care

· Responding to God's love

· Realizing his/her need for God's love

· Seeing him/herself as a child of God

· Listening to and learning from Bible stories

· Celebrating and learning about church holidays

Socially by

· Easing the transition between home and school

· Learning to play, work and communicate with peers and adults

· Feeling comfortable in a group setting

· Accepting others and celebrating our uniqueness

· Adjusting to change in environment and routine

· Taking field trips and interacting with invited guests

· Developing a sense of community and cultural awareness

Emotionally by

· Developing a positive self-concept

· Becoming independent and self disciplined

· Feeling a sense of security and trust

· Accepting responsibility for his/her actions

· Channeling emotions into appropriate outlets

Intellectually by

· Continuing to develop language use and understanding

· Increasing attention span and improving listening skills

· Choosing and completing appropriate activities

· Introducing and practicing number concepts

· Introducing and practicing literacy/prereading concepts

· Broadening his/her knowledge through a wide variety of activities and experiences that relate to our curriculum

Creatively by

· Using a variety of media for creative expression (art, music, dramatic play, etc.)

· Expressing ideas in his/her own unique way

· Developing his/her own God-given talents and abilities

· Viewing him/herself as a unique individual created and valued by God

Physically by

· Fine-tuning gross and fine motor skills

· Becoming aware of his/her own body space

· Developing/enhancing eye/hand coordination

· Promoting good health through nutritious snacks, exercise and fresh air.

Our sessions are led by a qualified staff and we are proud to provide a 6:1 ratio in a small setting. Our school conforms to all the health, fire, and safety codes of the State and Town of East Lyme and is licensed by the State of Connecticut and accredited by NAEYC’s National Academy of Early Childhood Programs.

     Our Preschool enjoys the full backing and support of the Board of Parish Education of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and its New England District. The synod has a long history of success in parochial school education.

What is Accreditation?

     Early childhood programs accredited by the NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation have voluntarily undergone a comprehensive process of internal self-study, invited external professional review to verify compliance with the Criteria for High-Quality Early Childhood Programs, and been found to be in substantial compliance with the Criteria. The Criteria can be found on NAEYC's Web site at www.naeyc.org/accreditation.

What is a high-quality early childhood program?

     A high-quality early childhood program provides a safe and nurturing environment while promoting the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of young children.

     In accredited programs you should see:

· frequent, positive, warm interactions among teachers and children

· planned learning activities appropriate to children's age and development, such as reading stories, block building, painting, dress-up, and active outdoor play

· specially trained teachers and administrators

· ongoing professional development

· enough adults to respond to individual children

· many varied age-appropriate materials

· respect for cultural diversity

· a healthy and safe environment for adults and children

· inclusive environments

· nutritious meals and/or snacks

· regular, two-way communication with families

· effective administration

· ongoing, systematic evaluation

Accreditation is valid for five years. During that period, programs should maintain compliance with accreditation standards, document program improvements, and provide notification about major changes.

           For more information about NAEYC accreditation, visit their web site at www.naeyc.org or call 1-800-424-2460, ext. 11360.

Admission

    We welcome all children who will be 3 years old on or before December 31st and are toilet trained for enrollment in September. After January 1, children must have reached their 3rd birthday before enrolling. An annual physical exam signed by a licensed physician or nurse practitioner is required by Connecticut licensing regulations.

    Typically, 4 & 5 year olds attend preschool on M/W/F and 3 and younger 4 year olds attend on T/Th. There is also an option for children to attend 5 mornings a week. We recognize that children do not develop in all areas at the same rate nor at the same time. Our activities and curriculum are designed to be open-ended and process- oriented so all children can be successful at their own developmental level.

Daily Routine

9:00 AM        Arrival, Quiet Activities

9:30 AM        Opening Circle Time

                      Children and teachers meet for a greeting,

                      prayer, morning message, sharing of stories,

                      and the plan for the day.

9:45 AM         Choice Time, Snack

                      Children are dismissed in small groups from

                      Circle time to choose activities.  Choices

                      include “messy art,” drawing and writing table,

                      dramatic play area, blocks/cars and trucks,

                      quiet area, easel, texture table, science table,

                      snack table, etc.

11:10 AM        Clean Up

11:20 AM       Outdoor Play - or -  large motor activities inside                       during inclement weather.

11:40 AM       Closing Circle

                     Stories, songs, fingerplays, estimation jar, bar

                     graphs, literacy games, etc.

12:00 AM      Dismissal

                     Children are dismissed one at a time to check

                     cubby and meet parent/pick up person.

Tuition

           Annual tuition is payable in 10 monthly installments (Sept.-June).  Tuition is pro-rated for mid-year enrollments.  Ask about sibling discounts.

           Tuition payments are due at the first of the month, whether or not the child is in school. There are no make-ups for illness, vacations, snow days, or state or federal holidays. 

           The school does not bill for tuition. There will be a $5.00 charge for payments more than 10 days late, and a $20 charge for returned checks. Checks should be made payable to Christ Lutheran Preschool.

2009-2010 Tuition Rates

M=Monday, T=Tuesday, W=Wednesday, Th=Thursday, F=Friday