We believe that kindergarten is our stepping stone to a successful elementary experience. We strive to provide a warm and nurturing environment in which each child's potential developmental growth can be reached.

Through our curriculum, we strive to help each child to develop positive attitudes towards school, learning and self. We welcome and support each child's imagination and curiosity through the use of poetry journals, class books, show and tell, and creative play. Self-confidence and independence come alive in our news and work skills periods. The children are given various opportunities to learn to deal effectively with other children and adults. Our sixth grade buddy and fourth grade friends are a great support system of children communicating caring and sharing across the grades. The preschool curriculum is balanced not only with structured activities but also opportunities for free expression.

In the beginning of the year we get to know each other with VIP, Very Special Me, which is a sharing of one's interests and families. As a culmination of our Fall unit, the children have the opportunity to visit a working dairy farm and pick pumpkins from a pumpkin patch. In December, we enjoy learning about each other's holiday and cultures. On the last day before Winter Break, the preschool invites a special guest to our Gingerbread Party to decorate giant sized gingerbread cookies. In February we have our own working post office to mail our Valentine greetings. We also have a special friend, "Beau Bear" visit us each year from Paris. Beau visits each child's home for one night. We have Teddy Bear Day in conjunction with Beau's visit. In the spring, along with our units on insects, butterflies, and Winnie the Pooh, we have an exciting trip to the Insecterium, and Peace Valley Nature Center. As part of our Language Arts curriculum, we experience live theatre at the Keswick. At the conclusion of a fun-filled year, the preschool performs a play, complete with songs, dialog and handmade scenery for parents and friends.

At Meadowbrook, community service is an integral part of our curriculum. In kindergarten we collect canned goods that are donated to a local church. We also visit a nursing home, Rydal Park, to sing and interact with the residents. We also send notes and pictures to the Veteran's Hospital. Through the kindergarten experience, we incorporate all these wonderful activities into our reading and math curriculum. In our daily school life, we reinforce helping each other through sharing, working hard and respecting each other's ideas and feelings. The journey through our kindergarten kindles extraordinary growth and development of each child.

Philosophy

We believe that preschool children need to be regarded holistically. The emotional and social aspects of each child's growth are as important as the intellectual and physical. Consequently, we strive to provide an atmosphere in which a child's maximum total growth may occur as each child's development allows. The primary emphasis of the Preschool program is to expose children to a nurturing yet academically structured environment which introduces students to school readiness through a developmentally appropriate program.