Butterfly Class: 2 Year Old Program
This class consists of 12 students with one lead teacher and two assistant teachers. The lead teacher will send home a weekly lesson plan via email with all of the specifics about what the class will focus on for that week and any special events that may take place. In this class the children begin to learn the fundamentals of classroom routines, interacting with other children, sharing, following rules and being away from their parents. For many of our students this will be their first experience in a school setting. It is important to establish a “home away from home” for our students to help foster their love for learning and being at school. The teachers in this classroom create a loving environment full of activities that will help the students acclimate into their new routines. Our play based curriculum allows children to learn how to express themselves and continually learn about their environment and themselves. Throughout the year the class will focus on age appropriate lessons such as; shapes, colors, seasons, introduction to the alphabet and numbers. As an enrichment class, the Butterfly class has “Jump Bunch” once a week. “Jump Bunch” is an exercise class that helps the children with motor skills balance and building confidence.
Bumblebee Class: 3 Year Old Program
This class consists of 15 students, one lead teacher, one co-teacher and an assistant teacher. In this class the children are continuing to develop emotionally, physically and cognitively. The classroom environment provides a safe and loving atmosphere full of enriching activities to help foster this growth in each child. There is a strong emphasis on independence, being responsible and the children are encouraged to express themselves in a positive manner. The classroom activities incorporate creative arts, early literacy and math concepts. Throughout the school year the class will focus on age appropriate lessons such as; the letters of the alphabet, the sounds they make, introduction to writing, counting, basic math concepts, the days of the week, weather, seasons and Holidays. As enrichment, the Bumblebees have music class once a week for 30 minutes and “Jump Bunch” once a week for 30 minutes. Jump Bunch is an exercise class that helps the children with motor skills balance and building confidence.
Lions Pre-K Class: 4 & 5 Year Old Program
The Lion program is designed for children who are just turning four or who will be turning five within the school year. The class has 20 studnets total. Due to the larger class size, there is one lead teacher, a co-teacher and two assistant teachers. Our curriculum is a play-based instruction which is designed to help fully prepare your child for kindergarten success. We have a wide range of abilities among our students, with a 1:5 ratio our teachers can modify their lessons to help meet the learning needs and styles of each individual student. Each week the classroom teacher will email a schedule home indicating the focus of the week and the activities that have been planned around reinforcing the topic. The first month of school is dedicated to getting to know each other and for the children to learn “All About Me”. In the second month of school, every week will be dedicated to an individual letter (done in alphabetical order) and will incorporate math, science, art and social studies as well. There will also be lesson plans that are focused on certain holidays and seasons throughout the year. Our Pre-K class is geared toward teaching and introducing the skills that students need in kindergarten. The pre-k classes meet Monday through Friday from 9:15am-12:15pm. Enrichment classes include Jump Bunch for 30 minutes once a week, music class once a week for 30 minutes and Children’s Chapel for 15 minutes a week.
(Please see below for description of the enrichment classes)
Before Care: Early Birds 7:00am-9:00 am
After Care: Tadpoles 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm
After Care: Frogs 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Chesterbrook offers before and after care sessions in addition to the preschool classes. Each of these sessions is divided into two groups of children, younger and older. Each after care session offers one snack provided by the school and is play based with free choice time as well as organized activities for the children. During the Tadpoles session from 12:30-3:30 pm, the younger group of children has a designated quiet/nap time from 12:30-2:30. The older students participate in learning centers, create projects and also participate in several activities offered in both the Fall and Spring sessions. Soccer is on Mondays as well as Science. The soccer program is through Kinder Kick It and is a 6 week session in both the fall and spring. In Science class the students will learn about mixing colors, weather, and make a volcano! Each Thursday the studnets will create a masterpiece in art class and an Exercise/Sports class is being developed for Wednesdays. The spring will bring new activities to after care such as Spanish and dance classes.
Enrichment Classes for Preschool Students
Jump Bunch
JumpBunch provides great exercise, but in a structured format that introduces a wide variety of sports, and builds coordination, balance and confidence. Each class includes warm-ups, floor exercises, the sport activity of the week, stretching, then cool down. We don’t make it competitive for preschoolers; it’s a completely positive experience. It’s amazing how this early exposure makes kids more willing to give new sports a try as they get older.
Music with Ms. Brooksie
Brooksie Wells is a local musician and teacher at the Montessori School of McLean. Once a week Ms. Brooksie comes to visit our preschool classrooms for 30 minutes.
Biography:
Discovered by Bobby Darin, Brooksie wrote for years for Chappel Music, with several of her songs used in recordings and movie soundtracks. She later recorded with John Lennon’s band Elephant’s Memory and as a singer with Kid Creole and the Coconuts.
While raising two kids in the early 1990s she became an international children’s performer, recording “Rainbow Family” and “Brooksie’s Kid Songs.”
Returning to her singing and songwriting roots, she released “Call It A Day” in the late ’90s to critical acclaim, and has now released the long-awaited “Been There,” an album of all-original alt.country songs.