Noah's Ark Christian Preschool
Noah’s Ark Preschool is a Ministry of First Presbyterian Church
***First Pres & Noah's Ark families are able to start registering the 1st of February***
***Open Registration begins for everyone else on March 1st***
Welcome to Noah's Ark Preschool, a fun place to learn!
PHILOSOPHY:
At Noah’s Ark Christian Preschool, our goal is for each child to have a fun, meaningful preschool experience that establishes a firm foundation for the rest of his/her academic life. We strive to provide a prepared environment in which each student has the opportunity to explore and experience both teacher-guided and self-directed classroom learning opportunities. Age appropriate activities provide for emotional, social, mental, physical and spiritual growth. Our classes provide a balance between group and individual activities, as well as quiet and active activities. A high teacher ratio of 3 teachers to 22 students helps assure that your child will be given the individual attention to help them progress at their own pace
GENERAL ACADEMIC PROGRAM:
At Noah’s Ark we utilize AlphaTales by Scholastic Publishing as our foundational reading curriculum. We then add several multi-sensory components such as crafts, literature, movement and music to fully incorporate the whole child into the learning process. For writing skills we utilize the D’Nealian script which is used by the Kennewick School District. The classes will go through both upper and lower case letters for the entire alphabet during the school year. A special focus will be placed on assisting each child with identifying and writing his/her own name. In addition, we cover the basic colors, shapes, and numbers that your child will be expected to identify when entering kindergarten.
Our spiritual formation curriculum includes daily prayer and foundational Bible stories such as Noah’s Ark, Moses, David, Jesus, etc. As a Christian Preschool, we continually seek to communicate and embody God’s love for each child.
DAILY SCHEDULE:
1. 10-15 minutes: Gathering Activities
2. 2-5 minutes: Clean-up and Transition
3. 15-25 minutes: Group Circle Time –stories, calendar,lessons, games birthday & letter sharing etc.
4. 50-60 minutes: Move to Centers Room for crafts, seat work, and rotating multi-choice child directed activities
5. 5-10 minutes: Clean-up and Transition with short song, story, finger-play.
6. 10-20 minutes: Hand-washing and Snack in Snack Room
7. 5-10 minutes: Move to Circle-Time Room for Transition activity
8. 10-20 minutes: Recess outside or in the gym
9. 2-5 minutes: Gather in Circle-Time Room for dismissal.
INDIVIDUAL CLASSES
TWO DAY MORNING CLASS
Tuesday & Thursday Mornings ~ 9:00—11:30 AM
For Children 3-4 years old.
This entry-level preschool class is developmentally designed for the 3 to 4 year olds. Special focus is given to helping the children learn the basics of being in a group setting of peers. Important lessons like sharing, using words, taking turns, waiting in line, and even how to sit criss-cross are patiently and lovingly taught and reinforced throughout the year.
Academics focus on an introduction to the entire alphabet through weekly letter sharing that helps children learn to identify each letters’ shape, sounds and simple words that start with each letter. Basic shapes, colors and numbers 1-10 are covered throughout the year. Fine motor skills such as cutting, coloring and gluing are taught through various tasks and activities. A variety of fun themes used throughout the year help to reinforce learning in interesting and meaningful ways.
THREE DAY MORNING CLASS
Mon., Wed. and Fri. Mornings ~ 9:00—11:30 AM
For Children 3-5 years old. (Children need to be 4 yrs old by 12/31/12)
This class builds upon the skills and foundations developed in the previous class or at home. Along with an introduction to the alphabet, students will work toward writing letters as well. Colors, shapes and a variety of pre-reading tasks are introduced through seatwork, small group games and more intricate craft projects. Students in this class will work on math skills through the number 20 and counting skills to 30 plus. Community Speakers and field trips help make learning real for the children. This class will provide each child with the opportunity to discover and learn the basic skills that are desired for entering kindergarten.
FOUR DAY AFTERNOON PRE-KINDERGARTEN CLASS
Monday through Thursday ~ 12:30—3:00PM
For Children 4-6 yrs old.
In this class we go beyond the standard preschool class to provide children with learning opportunities that will further enrich their preschool experience. Using the same fun, interactive and relational foundation as our other classes, we build in more developmentally appropriate leaning opportunities for the pre-kindergartener who is ready to learn! The extended four day week is designed to help students transition to a full kindergarten week.
Careful attention is given to identifying and writing the alphabet as well as a basic introduction to phonics. Simple word labels are introduced to math, shapes, colors and other simple objects to build pre-reading skills. Literature expansion projects allow the students to broaden their appreciation for familiar books through art, science, social studies, music and more. Circle time includes open-ended questions that help develop critical thinking and communication skills for both the individual child and class as a whole.
FACILITIES:
Noah’s Ark Christian Preschool is located within the Preschool Wing of the First
Presbyterian Church in Kennewick. We utilize 4 classroom spaces with over 1500 square feet. This space allows us to move throughout the day with separate areas for circle time, activity centers and snack.
Our large fenced playground allows ample opportunity for children to both develop their gross motor skills on large play equipment and the simple pleasures of being outdoors in a safe environment. When weather necessitates staying indoors, we have access to the church gym to continue our ability for active group play.
REGISTERING for the 2012-2013 school year will be accepted starting February 1, 2011 for returning families and families from First Presbyterian Church. Open registration for all other families will begin on March 1, 2012.
Registration Forms can be obtained in the Church or Preschool office. The Forms can also be mailed out for those individuals who are unable to come during regular business hours. The Registration Form must be filled out for each child and returned to the
Preschool office with the appropriate registration fee to secure the child’s placement in the class.
MORE QUESTIONS?
Please feel free to contact us for further information. If you would like to schedule an opportunity to visit in on one of the classes we would be happy to set up a time for you. Contact us at 509-586-2228 or email us at Noahsark@kfpc.org.
Teachers,
Kristy Lyon, MA
Cheryl Spradling, BA
Megan Beaujon, BS