Academics
Childhood is a magical time. Our first priority is to keep that magic alive. We make ice cream, bring in pets and have holiday parties. We sing and dance and laugh. We want school to be a special place where children get to do special things.
For many children, school is a place for “firsts.” It may be the first time a child leaves his parents or the first time he must give a speech to a group. We want the children to feel safe. We maintain a slow, calm pace. We plan our routines and our transitions carefully. In fact, we get many compliments on how peaceful our classrooms are. We love this time in a child’s life, and we want your children to love it, too.
We also recognize that we are preparing your children for the future. With this in mind, we pay special attention to providing the perfect balance between fun and academics. We spend a lot of time getting to know each child as an individual. We keep track of each child’s unique strengths and needs so we can plan learning activities which challenge each of them. Many parents tell us later that they were amazed at how well we prepared their children for elementary school.
Each teacher plans her day differently, according to the ages, abilities and interests of her students. However, all of our classes have the following components.
In Circle Time, the children may work on the calendar, the days of the week, the months, the seasons, the weather, names, greetings, phone numbers, addresses and birthdays. With the younger children, we use a lot of songs and finger plays. As the children get older, we do more difficult activities during circle time, such as writing words on white boards and planning science experiments.
We also have Reading Time. The teacher reads a book about a current interest. Then the children do learning activities that spring from the book. For example, if we read Big Boats, Little Boats, we may do an experiment about floating and sinking. As the children get older, the learning activities get more complicated. For example, if the book is How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? the younger children may do a sequencing activity, and the older children may work on telling time. Reading Time is a great vehicle for weaving in writing, math, science, art, nature, drama, music, kid-cooking and cultures.
For Language Time, the younger children work on recognizing letters, matching letters and sounds, and writing letters. As the children get older, they work on consonant blends, vowels, phonemes, sight words, phonetic spelling, sentence formation, reading simple text, reading for meaning and more precise handwriting. Sometimes we have children who are already reading, especially in our Kindergarten group. We plan activities so that these children will be challenged as well.
During Math, the children use a huge variety of manipulatives, including counters, dice, rulers, base ten cubes, even the abacus. We plan all of our math activities according to the ability level of the children in the group. Younger children practice sorting, matching, categorizing and measuring. Older children may work on estimating, number lines, counting backwards, or simple addition and subtraction. In the Young Fives and Kindergarten classes, we often have children working on harder concepts such as counting by two’s, three’s, five’s and ten’s.
Science is very hands-on. We use magnifying glasses, magnets, scales and a lot of cooking utensils. The teachers plan appropriate challenges for the children. Younger children may study shadows, the body parts or butterflies. As they get older, they hone their skills in hypothesizing, gathering information and presenting their findings.
We also integrate language, math and science into ongoing classroom projects. For example, if the children ask where the animals go in the winter, we may do an impromptu unit on habitats, hibernation or migration. If a child brings a pair of binoculars to share, we may do a spontaneous unit on eyesight or magnification. In fact, much of our curriculum is devoted to projects like this. We truly believe that children enjoy themselves more, learn more and remember more when we use their immediate interests to develop projects.
We have two kinds of art: crafts and free art. Crafts may be as simple as making a snowman with marshmallows or as complicated as making an entire bird house. During free art, the children get to experiment with materials such as play dough, clay, watercolors, glue, scissors, glitter, etc… Art is one of the favorite activities of the day.
Recess is on the playground on good weather days and in the gym on bad weather days. We have climbers, slides, swings and a big sand box. We also have a cool race track for our low rider bikes and tricycles. The indoor gym has all sorts of gross motor toys, including a basketball hoop, balance beams, parachutes and bean bags.
The children also have Free Time. Some favorite activities include computers, puzzles, blocks and dress-up. Children learn many concepts through free play. For example, when they play with blocks, they learn about gravity and balance. Children also practice social skills during free play, such as how to take turns or how to include themselves in a game. Afterwards, we talk about the children’s problems and successes during Free Time. These conversations are great for building empathy, self-confidence and language skills.
Last year, we had at least one guest speaker per month. Science Alive brought exotic animals for the students to touch. The Rochester Fire Department brought the fire truck. The firemen let the children dress up in their clothes and masks. We enjoy planning extra activities for the children. We want them to wake up every day eager to come to school!
Finally, our Spanish teacher visits each class on a regular schedule. She uses games, songs, stories and crafts to teach greetings, the ABC's, the numbers, calendar concepts, math concepts, and a wide variety of vocabulary words, such as colors, shapes, animals, instruments, fruit, clothes, professions, modes of transportation, opposites, food and family. For the older children, she adds a "communication" element where children learn to ask and answer questions such as "Where is the bathroom?" All the children also learn about the customs and holidays in the many Spanish-speaking countries. Our Spanish teacher is a native Spanish speaker who has been teaching children for many years. She makes learning realistic and fun!
"I have been extremely impressed with the teachers at Alpine. They are involved, caring and very well-prepared. The experiences are appropriate and child-centered. My child is developing all the necessary pre-kindergarten skills. He has a secure understanding of number concepts and letter/sound correspondence. The teachers speak with me often, with enthusiasm and sincere interest, about my son's progress." Mrs. DiMaggio (a Kindergarten teacher herself)
"Every year, the school does many new things. We appreciate that the teachers strive to improve an already great program. My children have been more than prepared for Kindergarten. The Spanish program is phenomenal. My children use a lot of Spanish at home. We have made many friends at Alpine." Mrs. Kania
