Preschool
The Preschool is divided into self-contained classrooms by age.
A Lead Teacher and an Associate Teacher staff each classroom, with class size ranging from 12-15 students. Children in the 3 year-old class may elect to participate in the optional Lunch Bunch program on a yearly, semester, or drop-in basis. Before and after-care extended day is also available.
The Harbor School's Preschool program is dedicated to the development of the whole child. The program focuses on encouraging development in all areas - cognitive, social and emotional, and physical. Given that the Preschool years are a time of rapid developmental change, we recognize the importance of providing an environment that is protective and nurturing as well as cognitively challenging. Learning through play is the foundation of the Preschool program because play is the primary way young children learn about the world around them.
Throughout the day, the children receive a suitable balance of independent time and teacher-directed activity. Children are given choices and are encouraged to explore and experiment, ask questions and learn to take risks. The program emphasizes open-ended activities in which each child experiences a feeling of success and process is valued over product. Teachers facilitate learning by structuring appropriate play opportunities, modeling positive social interaction and engaging children in developmentally appropriate activities and lessons that lead to success. In this way, children discover "how to learn," take pride in their accomplishments and become confident in their own abilities.
Preschool classrooms are bright and cheerful rooms equipped with a variety of learning centers that encourage experimentation and exploration including: Art Center, Block Center, Dramatic Play Center, Library Center, Puzzles and Small Manipulatives Center, Science Center and the Writing Center. Outdoor play with climbing equipment, sandboxes, wagons, and scooters is also an important component of the Preschool program. This is a time for free play that allows for the expansion of social development and for the development of motor skills.
To complement the regular classroom program, Preschool children attend special subject classes in Library, Movement, and Music and Performing Arts.