Ages 4-5
Mondays, Wednesdays (Outdoors), Fridays 12:30 pm – 4 pm
The Sunflower class is for children who are four by September 1. The Sunflowers meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and their parents take turns helping in the classroom roughly once every month. On Mondays and Fridays, students meet in the classroom from 12:30pm-4:00pm with daily outdoor play for up to one hour. On Wednesdays, the Sunflower class meets outside from 12:30pm-4:00pm in all forms of weather to explore nature’s classroom.
All the activities of the classroom are experienced through the lens of a four-year old. Although many students were in the same classroom one year prior, they are now able to celebrate greater fine motor ability and more significant dramatic play.
Songs, storytelling, and puppets are the tools we use to spark young imaginations. Our preschool classroom is a gentle and safe environment for nurturing creative expressions, social interactions, and practical life skills. Preschool students are encouraged to build using blocks and other materials.
Sunflowers focus on building confidence, strengthening relationships, and preparing for the world of kindergarten. In the Sunflower class, the teacher, assistant teacher and parent helper encourage children to develop their play in groups, thereby enhancing their socialization skills.
At this developmental stage, group play is more complex and incorporates more children. As their attention spans increase, Sunflowers stay with activities for longer periods of time, discovering new ways to use the same materials that were available the previous year. Art projects require greater concentration and coordination. Outdoor play takes on new dimensions as the children develop their physical and problem-solving skills. They become more aware of the world around them and their place in it.
Sunflowers are supported and encouraged on an individual basis when they initiate interests in reading, writing and math. Writing and sounding out letters becomes meaningful, for example, when children want to write notes to their parents or make a sign for their railroad or spaceship. Math is also organic as children build with blocks and discuss which ones are longer and how many there are. They figure out how to make a marble roll faster with a steeper ramp. They read stories to their dolls when they play house. The teacher actively engages and encourages each child as they show readiness.
By the end of the year, Sunflowers blossom into confident, well-rounded, curious children who are ready for the challenges of kindergarten.
Our Sunflower class offers 1:4 ratio with a teacher, teacher assistant and parent helper, allowing us to offer more individual attention.
*If your child just misses the September 1 cut-off, please email us to discuss your options.
