Beginners
Age 2.5 by September 1
The Beginners program at Peñasquitos Christian Preschool is designed for our first-year preschoolers who are at least 30 months old and begins in the morning. Children in the Beginners program may attend even if they have not yet mastered potty training. A focus throughout the school year will be on gaining independence and learning to use the potty. The main focus of Beginners is to introduce children to a social setting where they can learn and practice skills that will lay the foundation for social and emotional health in school.
2, 3, and 5 Day Options Available
8:30-11:30am
Beginners…
…are working on their first separation from mommy and daddy, learning to use the potty, trusting another adult away from parents, learning to make choices on their own, and making the beginnings of parallel social connections. The classes take each of these skills to a new level in learning to work out social issues appropriately.
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Interwoven is the opportunity for age-appropriate academic, cognitive, spiritual, and physical growth. When children first arrive at school they are warmly welcomed into their classroom, set up for immediate exploration of learning centers. These learning centers include art, writing, manipulatives, science, sensory, blocks, reading, and dramatic play.
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Following open center time is a group time that could include discussions, singing, story time, fingerplays, and movement. The morning program also ends with a short, age-appropriate closing group time.
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Our outdoor time is not a recess but a valuable educational opportunity to practice skills through intentional and planned activities that span all developmental domains.
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Children will also share a nutritious snack together at some point in the morning.
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Bible curriculum and lessons are incorporated throughout the curriculum and children attend chapel once or twice per week (depending on schedule).
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The Nature Hut is an expansion of our Outdoor Classroom. We have a specialized teacher who writes the curriculum for the Nature Hut which engages the child’s natural curiosity of the world around them.
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Beginners who are three years old are invited to participate in the afternoon enrichment program Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday afternoons for a fuller day experience. This extension program is not child care, rather a full enrichment class called Discovery Kid Zone (DKZ).
The power of play
We believe and research supports that children learn through play and exploration of their environment in the natural world. Positive play experiences—with a variety of hands-on activities and social interactions with adults and peers—fosters the development of young children and helps them to understand the world around them.