Preschool/Maternelle

Classroom environment

A young child experiences the world primarily through their senses — everything is to be touched, tasted, smelled, listen to, and examined carefully.

What we offer in our classrooms:
• Opportunities for independent and collaborative play
• Opportunities for quiet play
• Opportunities to grow in all developmental domains
• Sufficient challenge and diversity in the play activities provided
• Easy and independent access to a wide range of materials and equipment

 

Activities 

Tennis

Soccer

Chess

Theater

Music/Dance

 

A typical day at La Petite Colline:

 

8:30 Arrival and Free Choice Play: Children will be arriving, transitioning into the classroom and are able to explore the various areas of the classroom.

9:00-9:20 AM Snack/ Morning Meeting: Teachers work on art projects, science, numbers, reading and writing

9:20-9:35 Yoga/Body Awareness

10:00-10:45 Garden/Park/Music/ Soccer/Tennis

11:30-12:00 Lunch

12:20-2:00 Rest

2:30-4:00 Second Circle Meeting/Chess/Art Studio/Library: Teachers work on art projects, science, numbers, reading and writing

4:00-4:15 PM Snack

4:15-5:30 Garden/Park: Children will explore the various areas of the classroom and teachers will work with children individually or in groups.

5:30 Dismissal

 

*4:00 Dismissal every Friday*

 

1's

 

The visions we offer our children shape the future.

-Carl Sagan

 

A young child experiences the world primarily through their senses — everything
is to be touched, tasted, smelled, listened to, and examined carefully.

What we offer in our classrooms:
• Opportunities for independent and collaborative play
• Opportunities for sensory exploration and examination
• Opportunities to grow in all developmental domains
• Sufficient challenges and diversities in the play activities provided
• Easy and independent access to a wide range of materials and equipments

 

This room is for all of you who love a safe, healthy, and inspiring environment that
is ready for your exploration. The space we have created for you has a homey
atmosphere where you can flourish. The healthy balance of consistent daily
routine and free play allows you to feel safe and confident.
You know what to expect when you walk in the door, but the additional surprises
and special events bring a sense of adventure and discovery. Your caring teachers
strive to guide you in your exploration, while making you feel safe and confident.
Your clean and organized classroom is filled with endless opportunities, amazing toys, and books from all over the world. You are encouraged to touch, feel, and explore.

Sometimes you’re in the garden for storytelling or artwork. Other times, you take some of your first steps in the garden, surrounded by nature. It’s great to have so many places in the classroom where you can become a master of “pulling up” or
“walking.” You watch the seasons go by through the floor to ceiling windows.
When it’s warm, sometimes a bird or a squirrel will look inside and say hello!
When it’s snowing, our radiant heated floors keep you warm and cozy while you watch the snowflakes fall. You will make new friends and learn how to communicate and express yourself, even if the only words you know are “daddy, mama, no, or, more.”

 

2's

The one who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back.
– Henri Matisse

 

You are filled with creativity, and are eager to learn. In this revolutionary age:

● Your teachers know your likes and dislikes, and strive to guide and support
you in your discoveries in all areas
● You start building the confidence to express yourself and explore new
horizons.
● You look for new challenges and inspirations in your environment.
Sometimes you try to make a perfect track for a wooden ball on the large
magnetic wall with your friends, other days you investigate light, colors, and
shapes in the light laboratory by yourself.
● Nature still plays an important role in your daily school life, therefore, you
will continue exploring and making new discoveries in our Japanese garden.
● Your love for other friends starts to grow as you start to explore your way of
socializing with one another.
● You are learning how to express your emotions, and how to regulate them
on your own.
● You trust and feel comfortable around your teachers, and you can’t wait to
share with them your joys and challenges.
● There are many “Aha!” and “Wow!” moments everyday in the classroom.

3's

Whoever wants to understand much must play much.
– Gottfried Benn

 

You are a master of imagination and expression. La Petite Colline provides you with the tools, crafts, materials, and of course, the opportunities to realize and express your ideas and feelings. During the day, you may be collaborating with your friends on construction with pipes, or working on a painting or drawing. You have the freedom to choose what you would like to do.

You know exactly what you like and what you don’t like, and La Petite Colline gives you the opportunity to try new things and expand your horizons. There are many chances for you to work in groups with other children and also time to work independently. You love to make up stories and act them out with your friends, ask questions, dance, build, create, and sing. You have a vivid imagination. You learn new ways of expressing your ideas and feelings through art, such as new painting or drawing techniques, and you are proud to share these with your family and friends.

With role-play and art, you recreate your experiences and express all the new things you are learning. You create experiments and learn through “trial and error”. Sometimes things don’t work out the way you planned and that is okay, it’s the best way to learn. Your teachers understand you, inspire you, and give you guidance. Working independently and in small groups, you lean through the hands-on exploration of materials such as art projects, block building, storytelling and books, cooking, drama, games, music and movement, and outdoor play.

4's

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.
– Helen Keller

 

`You are almost ready for elementary school — this new and exciting stage in life is

about to begin, and you are well prepared for it!

In this room:

● You enjoy all the opportunities to learn through play, exploration, and
creation.
● You realize that there are learning moments in your everyday life, and you
start to connect what you have learned in the classroom to your daily life.
● You are ready for the challenges of elementary school. The social and
literacy skills you have gained at La Petite Colline provide you with a solid
foundation. You are confident in your abilities and true to yourself.
● You are progressing with your reading, writing and counting skills, and you
meet with the teachers individually to work on the important pre-academic
skills you will need for the transition to Kindergarten.
● You love exploring rhythm and music by playing on our electronic drum
machine and creating beats with your friends
● You learn about new fruits and vegetables, and measurement concepts
during cooking projects with your friends and teachers.
● You continue to experiment and be the artist of your own learning journey.

 

5's

 

Your classroom is a beautiful, state-of-the-art space with open-ended materials.
This is to intentionally set you up to become effective in expressing your
imagination creatively and learn through collaboration. You are learning to read,
write and calculate in both languages. Aside from that, your class is also working
on theater and dance practices for the yearly performance show.

The field trips you will embark on provide you with amazing opportunities to:

● Learn new things about animals, plants, science, etc.
● Explore the wonderful things our neighborhood has to offer
● Build and strengthen your new friendships

In this class, you will have everything you need to prepare you for elementary
school. YEY!