Preschool

Our preschool program is designed to include developmentally age-appropriate practices.

Students engage in thematic units that involve exploratory hands-on and minds-on learning to our students. Our teachers empower students to learn about things they wonder about in the world around them.

It is highly important to create a safe, caring environment, and connection with all students in an early childhood classroom. In this safe and caring environment, children thrive and want to learn.

- Valentina Jankulovska, Preschool Teacher

Learning as a Preschooler

This booklet provides information about what a Preschool student will be learning in school. It includes specific information on the following:

Building character and a culture of success with QSI's Success Orientations
Our approaches to learning that foster imagination and creative expression
Our methods to measure success
What a preschooler will learn in our thematic units

First page of the PDF file: Learningasa2-3-4-year-oldFinal

Purposeful Play

"Purposeful Play" classrooms utilize student centric learning centers that encourage exploration and that reward collaboration.

Preschool Curriculum

The preschool curriculum is designed to engage the children in their first formal school experiences.

The QSIY Preschool uses Frog Street by Frog Street Press, Inc., a research-based, developmentally appropriate program that integrates the education of a preschool child through multiple domains with the special focus on social-emotional development, differentiated instruction and joyful learning through sensory experiences. The domains for each themed unit include:

Language/Literacy,
Mathematics,
Science/Social Studies/Health,
Gross Motor Development,
Fine Motor Development,
Fine Arts,
Social/Emotional Development,
Independence/Self-help.

Greeting Circle – Introduces children to a weekly theme's topic through Morning Message

Literacy Time/Math/Science – Uses small group activities to teach key concepts through Read-Aloud activities and centers. STEAM activities combine various disciplines to develop mathematical and scientific foundations.

Closing Circle – reflects upon and reviews the activities from the day.

Home School Connection – develops and supports partnership with parents.

Daily Schedule

Below is our preschool daily schedule.

8:00-8:30	Free Play time/PE
8:30-9:00	Circle Time/Morning Meeting
9:00-9:30	Centers/Small Group Learning
9:30-10:00	Recess
10:00-10:20	Snack
10:30-11:00	Specials (Music/Art)
11:00-11:30	Big Group Learning/ Enrichment Activities
11:30-11:50	Lunch
11:50-12:00	Storytime
12:20-1:00	Quiet Time/Sensory Activities
1:00-1:30	Specials (Music/Art)
1:30-2:00	Choice time
2:00-2:15	Snack Time/ Recess
2:15-2:30	Recap/Closing Circle

Assessment of Learning

All assessment of student knowledge is based on what a classroom teacher observes and directly asks students to do. Three times a year (once a term), parents will receive a narrative report and a checklist that outlines the progress that students are making in the following domains:

Language/Literacy
Mathematics
Science/Social Studies/Health
Gross Motor Development
Fine Motor Development
Fine Arts
Social/Emotional Development
Independence/Self-Help Skills

Under each domain is a list of learning objectives. Students are evaluated using the following evaluation descriptors:

S: Satisfactory means that a student consistently is able to demonstrate the learning objectives independently.

P: Progressing means that students still need some support and help to become independent learners with these learning objectives.

NY: Not Yet means that students still need more time to demonstrate mastery of a learning objective.

Teachers will ask students to demonstrate what they know in a variety of ways. This can be done by the following:

Observations
Hands-on demonstrations
Oral discussions

Our teachers encourage students to demonstrate learning in many ways, ensuring enduring understanding and a sense of success.

Social-Emotional Learning

Social-emotional learning is integrated throughout the curriculum. Our lessons help students develop social and emotional awareness while keeping the joy of learning fun and engaging for these developing minds.

This approach in the lessons in each theme allows teachers to differentiate instruction based on each child’s developmental needs while nurturing a child’s natural curiosity. Allowing for plenty of exploration in each of the domains allows students to pursue ideas and activities that feed their need to learn and grow. For a preschooler, many opportunities to learn happen naturally through play-based activities that encourage creativity that fosters a child’s imagination. Often the more “academic” subjects like mathematics and literacy happen in embedded situations that seem more like exploration and play rather than academic “work.”

SEL (Social Emotional Learning) is the foundation, so children can continue their lifelong learning, independently and successfully.

- Valentina Jankulovska, Preschool Teacher

English Language Support

The best way to learn English is to be immersed in a classroom environment where the teacher and students speak and learn in English. Learning a new language involves first learning by listening to others and then through speaking. In preschool, children learn English naturally through a variety of learning experiences that are hands-on and collaborative. The program helps children develop socially and emotionally, which more easily facilitates language acquisition.

Prerequisites

Below are the prerequisite requirements for joining our preschool program.

The child must turn three before November 1 in order to be admitted to the program.  Exceptions may be made only by the school director, and only in coordination with the parents and preschool teachers.
Children must be aware of their toileting needs and be toilet trained—which means that children must consistently demonstrate the following habits: recognize when they need to use the toilet; ask to go to the toilet or seek to go to the toilet on their own; be able to manipulate clothing to assist in using the toilet; be able to use the toilet.
We understand that accidents happen and that small children often don’t have the fine motor skills to perfectly manipulate buttons, snaps, and zippers—and we are prepared to help children with these obstacles.  It is essential, however, that children have moved out of diapers or pull-ups before they enter this program.
Children must be able to feed themselves.  They should be able to use basic utensils to eat their snacks and lunches when required.  We will open bottles and assist children with their lunch needs; however, we do not feed children at snack or lunch time.
Children must demonstrate both the willingness and ability to appropriately engage with peers and be led by the teacher.
Any exceptions to the admission policies must be approved by the school director.

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