MVPC Preschool believes that:
- Children learn through engaging in enjoyable lessons and activities
- Children learn more and remember more when learning is fun
- Creativity and variety in activities makes learning pleasurable and more effective
- Children should be active participants in their learning
- A positive learning environment is essential for development and socialization
- Children need to feel comfortable to make mistakes in order to learn from them
- The learning environment should stimulate children’s minds
- Expectations for the children are achievable yet challenging
- Children should follow preschool rules and guidelines
- Children learn more effectively by making connections within subjects and disciplines
- Cross-curricular education children see the big picture.
MVPC Preschool teachers will take children where they are developmentally, and through our philosophy of instruction, we will help children advance to meet their potential.
At MVPC Preschool we follow a theme-based curriculum, which motivates children and unlocks the natural learner in every child. Through this curricular model teachers and children take a holistic approach to learning. Concepts, ideas, and lessons are integrated within each theme and are revisited in later themes. As children discover, play, and explore, they form patterns and understand the connections in the learning process.
The following are curricular goals in which children will be striving for, and continually working towards, but in which mastery is not expected or required.
Language Acquisition
Recognizes specific books by cover
- Pretends to read books
- Understands that books are handled in particular ways
- Enters into a book-sharing routine with primary caregivers
- Vocalization gives way to enjoyment of rhyming language, nonsense word play, etc
- Labels objects in books.
- Looks at picture in book and realizes it is a symbol for real object
- Listens to stories
- Requests adult to read or write
- Begins attending to specific print, such as letters in names
- Uses increasingly purposeful scribbling
- Occasionally seems to distinguish between drawing and writing
- Produces some letter-like forms and scribbles with some features of English writing
Mathematics
- Arranges objects in a one-to-one correspondence
- Recognizes patterns of objects
- Compares objects
- Forms groups by sorting and matching
- Develops problem-solving skills
- Identifies similarities and differences
- Recognizes numerals
- Compares and contrasts shape formations
- Formulates predictions about measurement results
- Works with measurement tools
Science
- Uses senses to learn about objects and the world around them
- Observes and classifies objects through characteristics
- Recognizes changes and events in their surroundings
- Observes without interfering and participating
- Classifies objects as living or nonliving
- Distinguishes between a question and a statement
- Develops a curiosity about the natural world
- Asks probing questions
- Creates hypotheses about scientific experiments
- Observes systems, cycles, interactions, and diversity in the environment
Art
- Observes and uses a variety of media to express themselves creatively
- Develops creative expression and pride in their work
- Explores different forms of artwork
- Develops eye-hand coordination and other fine motor control
- Develops perceptive skills
- Explores individual creativity and how to think outside the box
Music
- Appreciates different genres of music
- Creates, determines, and recognizes various beats
- Sings with different intonations, tones, speeds, etc
- Learns the difference between singing and speaking voices
- Participates in rhythmic activities
- Compares variations between musical notes
- Develops joy and creativity when creating music
Developmental Dexterity
- Develops and practice self-control
- Develops coordination and balance including gross and fine motor skills
- Exercises persistence and perseverance
- Gains an appreciation for fitness
- Practices and understands the importance of safety
- Develops body and personal space awareness
- Develops spatial and directional awareness
Social Studies
- Learns how to work cooperatively
- Practices showing respect for others
- Learns about their community and how they fit into it
- Develops and expands the level of responsibility in each child
- Develops social skills appropriate for a variety of situations
- Relates events from personal experiences
- Learns terms related to direction and location
- Recognizes and reacts to consequences
- Learns how to show compassion to others
Language Acquisition
- Knows first and last name, complete address and phone number for safety reasons
- Recognizes print in the local environment
- Knows that it is the print that is read in stories
- Understands that different text forms are used for different functions of print (grocery list is different than a menu list)
- Pays attention to separable and repeating sounds in language (in Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater: Peter Eater)
- Uses new vocabulary and grammatical constructions in own speech
- Understands and follows oral directions
- Is sensitive to some sequences of events in stories
- Shows an interest in books and reading
- When being read a story, connects information and events to real-life experiences
- Questions, comments, and demonstrates understanding of literal meaning of story being told
- Displays reading and writing attempts, calling attention to self
- Identifies alphabet letters, especially those from own name
- Writes (scribbles) message as part of playful activity
- Begins to attend to beginning rhyming sounds in salient words
- Follows two-step directions
- Listens to a story for a short period of time
Mathematics
- Counts with meaning
- Completes pre-existing patterns
- Creates their own patterns
- Combines and separates groups to form new groups
- Develops problem-solving skills
- Examines sets to determine what belongs and what does not
- Classifies objects into groups
- Recognizes numerals in and out of sequence
- Identifies shapes and can recreate them
- Recognizes the difference between linear, weight, and volume measurement
- Makes educated decisions
- Creates graphs of measurement results
- Solves basic addition and subtraction equations
- Recognizes how math is used everyday
- Solves life applicable and developmentally appropriate story problems
Science
- Uses senses to learn about objects and the world around them
- Observes and classifies objects through characteristics
- Recognizes changes and events in their surroundings
- Distinguishes between questions and statements
- Performs scientific experiments
- Creates and modifies hypotheses to predict outcomes
- Observes systems, cycles, interactions, and diversity in the environment
Art
- Observes and uses a variety of media for creative expression
- Develops creative expression and pride in their work
- Explores different forms of artwork
- Develops eye-hand coordination and other fine motor control
- Develops perceptive skills
- Explores individual creativity and how to think outside the box
Music
- Appreciates different genres of music
- Creates, determines, and recognizes various beats
- Sings with different intonations, tones, speeds, etc
- Learns the difference between singing and speaking voices
- Participates in rhythmic activities
- Compares variations between musical notes
- Develops joy and creativity when creating music
Developmental Dexterity
- Develops and practices self-control
- Develops coordination, balance as well as gross and fine motor skills
- Exercises persistence and perseverance
- Gains an appreciation for fitness
- Practices and understands the importance of safety
- Develops body and personal space awareness
- Develops spatial and directional awareness
Social Studies
- Learns how to work cooperatively
- Practices showing respect for others
- Learns about community and how they fit into it
- Develops and expands the level of responsibility in each child
- Develops social skills appropriate for a variety of situations
- Relates events from personal experiences
- Learns terms related to direction and location
- Recognizes and react to consequences
- Learns how to show compassion to others
On a daily basis, children will participate in group and individual learning activities. Children will be exposed to a variety of ways of learning curricular goals such as games, hands-on experience, direct instruction, stories, play, and crafts. Each day will include routine incorporating variety and choice for children.
The MVPC Preschool is a faith-based Preschool in which all are welcome. On a regular basis children will participate in Chapel Time. During this time children will learn about God, Jesus, and various Biblical stories. Other religious activities will include but are not limited to:
- sharing in a morning prayer
- saying grace before snack time
- celebrating Christmas and Easter
Teachers will keep a portfolio of children’s work to show their progress. Both the teacher and child will choose items for inclusion in the portfolio.
On occasion, MVPC Preschool will provide the opportunity for children attending the 5-day class to go on a curriculum related field trip. These experiences will allow children to develop an increased awareness of the world around them. Teachers will send home with the children permission slips along with information regarding the field trip in advance.
MVPC Preschool will provide children with a nutritional snack and drink each day. The snack may consist of crackers, pretzels, or something similar. Since some children may have severe allergies to certain food products,* we ask that you do not send snacks with your child to school.
* Please notify the Preschool Director of any food allergies your child may have.
With prior approval parents may bring in a special treat for birthdays or classroom holiday celebrations. We ask that parents communicate with the classroom teachers first about what they plan on bringing and when. This way we will make sure we have the children ready and protected from any potential allergy conflicts.
Children should come to school dressed to play and have fun. Please dress children so they can play outdoors and indoors comfortably. We ask that you send with your child an easy-opening 16x15 in. bag with their name on the outside to carry home artwork, papers, and notices. Be sure to check your child’s bag each day to review your child’s work and notices we have sent home with your child.
Each teacher will share with you the classroom rules for sharing time, that special time when children may bring a special item from home to share with the class. Guns, war toys or other toys of destruction are not to be brought to school. Sharing time is a wonderful impetus to conversation/verbal skills. Instead of a toy, collections of leaves, shells, etc. or telling of going to the library or what they ate for breakfast is of greater value than a toy.
Children may begin arriving at Preschool at 8:55 in the morning but no earlier. Children should be in their classrooms by 9:00 a.m. Parents need to come into school and drop off their child in his/her classroom. Keep in mind that children who arrive late, especially those routinely late, can feel they are trying to catch up the rest of the morning with activities, or may become upset due to missing out on an activity. We try to have children leave Preschool each day with a sense of accomplishment, so we appreciate having all children arrive on time.
Preschool dismisses as 12:00 Noon sharp. Parents should pick up their children in assigned classroom(s) upon dismissal. Failure to arrive on time will result in a fine. The first 15 minutes late will result in a $10.00 late fee. Each minute after 12:15 will result in an extra $1.00 per minute late fee. It can be distressful for children to be the last picked up from school, fearing they were forgotten. If you are aware that you might be late at dismissal time, please notify the office staff and your child’s teacher.
If your child is to go home with anyone other than the regular, designated person, you must give written permission.* For safety purposes, we cannot permit a child to leave school with someone who is not included in their file without specific written instructions from you.
* Please notify the Preschool Director if there are custody issues regarding your child. If so, we require a copy of the court order that grants you as the guardian of the child. We will keep all matters confidential. The safety of your child is our utmost concern.
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