Our Day at Westminster Nursery School
Junior Class Schedule
9:00a: Children “check in” finding name and placing it in pocket chart and then make a choice in the classroom.
9:20a: Group time. Ms. Rebecca leads children in stories, music & discussion. Here the class experience children’s literature, make plans for the day, recount experiences outside of school, participate in singing and movement activities and practice being part of a structured group.
9:40a: Classroom choices. Through their play, children learn spatial reasoning, analytical and problem solving skills, cooperation, communication, fine motor, planning, empathy, discovering boundaries and how to move past them. Ms. Rebecca & parents are close observers of this learning period, asking questions to lengthen out experiences, redirect activities as needed and model problem solving.
10:30a: Clean up, bathroom break and prep for snack. Cleaning up creates opportunities for learning responsibility, math skills, cooperation and self-motivation.
10:40a: Snack time: the perfect time to practice manners, counting & language development. Parents take turns bringing snack for the class.
11:00a: Outside play. A second “work period” for the children, where they can choose activities focusing on sensory and gross motor play. Buckets, shovels, balls, bikes, chalk, as well as playground equipment are available for the children to explore.
11:40a: Outside clean up.
11:50a: Group time. A second opportunity to participated in a structured group setting while discussing the happenings of our school day and sharing items from home.
12:00a: Ms. Rebecca helps dismiss children and gives feedback to parents regarding their child’s day.
Senior Class Schedule
9:00a: Children sign in, creating a daily practice of writing their name. Sign in sheets are individualized and modified throughout the year according to readiness and development. Afterwards, children make a choice in the classroom.
9:20a: Group time. Ms. Rebecca leads children in stories, music, discussion and the Question of the Day. Here the class can experience children’s literature, make plans for the day, recount experiences outside of school, participate in signing and movement activities, and practice social structure within conversation. As the year progresses, calendar familiarity is added as well as Letter of the Week activities.
9:45a; Free play and small group activities. Through their play, children learn spatial reasoning, analytical and problem solving skills, cooperation and communication, fine motor, planning, empathy, discovering boundaries and how to move past them. Ms. Rebecca & parents are close observers of this learning period, asking questions to lengthen out experiences, redirect activities as needed and model problem solving.
Additionally, Ms. Rebecca and/or parents lead small groups of children in Question of the Day writing activities, art, number sense and science experiments.
10:35a: Clean up and prep for snack. Cleaning up also creates opportunities for learning responsibility, math skills, cooperation and self-motivation.
10:45a: Snack time. Snack is served family style, with the children serving themselves. This is the perfect time to practice manners, counting and engage in conversation.
11:00a: Outside play. A second “work period” for the children, where they can choose activities focusing on sensory and gross motor play. Buckets, shovels, balls, bikes, chalk, as well as playground equipment are available for the children to explore.
11:50a: Outside Clean up.
12:00a: Group time. A second opportunity to discuss the happenings of our school day, share items from home, & sing. Class will review the Question of the Day, adding pre-reading practice, number sense and group leading practice as the year progresses.
12:25a: Lunch. Children will eat individual lunch brought from home. Children remain in the dining area for a minimum of 15 minutes.
12: 45a: As the children finish lunch they can work on a table activity, read a book or participate in a group game led by Mrs. Rebecca
12:55a: Gather for Goodbye Song.
1:00a: Dismissal. Mrs. Rebecca helps dismiss children and gives feedback to parents/caregiver regarding their day.
Parent & Me Schedule
12:45p Parents and children arrive and begin free play within the classroom. Ms. Rebecca will have materials set up to allow for new experiences that can be self-initiated as well as parent guided. Ms. Rebecca and parents closely observe and play with children, helping to model interactions that work for everyone.
1:05p: Parents, children and Ms. Rebecca clean up classroom.
1:10p: Group time. Ms. Rebecca leads children and parents in music and movement as well as stories.
1:30p: Goodbye song and dismissal.