» Special Programs

Music and Spanish Enrichment

Spanish lessons are offered twice a week for children in our Preschool and Kindergarten classes. Lessons include vocabulary and conversation appropriate for the children and the time of year. Engaging songs and games are included in the lessons as well.

Music lessons are offered once each week to all the children in the program. Children sing and move their bodies to new and familiar songs. Activities, including scarves, books, egg-shakers, and rhythm sticks, provide opportunities for children to explore rhythm and movement.

Special Visitors and Programs at School

To enrich our Program and provide some outside experiences for children not old enough for field trips, we invite people and programs such as the following:

  • The traveling farm – twice each year
  • Spring chicken egg hatching project
  • Reptile-rama presentation
  • Pony rides
  • Spinning and weaving with real sheep and rabbits
  • Beekeeper and honey gathering
  • Puppet shows and puppet-making workshop
  • African storytellers
  • Carnival day activities and moonbounce
  • The dentist and dental awareness puppet show
  • The fireman and fire truck
  • Learning about occupations, hobbies, and cultural activities from parent visitors
  • The ballet at school
  • Pilgrims and Native American Thanksgiving feast
  • Cider press and olive press presentations
  • Mr. Yuk – Poison Control presentation
  • Safe Touch or a similar program

Field Trips

Throughout the year, children four years old and older will have the opportunity to participate in a number of field trips. Some examples include:

  • Harvest time at the farm, the apple orchard, pumpkin patch, and hay ride
  • New Jersey State Aquarium
  • Norristown or Philadelphia Zoo
  • Musicals, orchestra concerts, plays and ballets
  • African American Museum of Philadelphia
  • Insectarium
  • Exhibits and programs at the Museum of Natural Sciences
  • Exhibits and programs at the Franklin Institute and Planetarium
  • The Please Touch Museum
  • Walks to local attractions such as the supermarket, post office, pizza parlor and playgrounds
  • Nature Center activities including: Critters of the Creek & Pond, maple sugaring, and nature walks
  • Philadelphia Museum of Art

See the School Calendar for dates and specific programs.

Summer Camp

From mid to late June until the Thursday before Labor Day, the School takes on a “camp-like” atmosphere. Our Program goals continue, but are more frequently accomplished in an outdoor setting. Each week has a special summer theme and often a Friday Fun day.

The patio behind the Preschool building becomes the stage for wonderful, messy art activities that might not be attempted indoors including tie dying, oobelick, spray painting and waterworks. Music and stories might happen in our outside tent or in the shade of a tree. Nature study, gardening, sprinklers, water table play, swimming and opportunities to use our bodies outdoors on our wonderful play equipment, are all a part of the summer camp program. Of course, if the day gets too hot and sticky, we can always retreat to our air-conditioned buildings.

The On-Site Swimming Program

Many of the activities that children experience from infancy and up are designed to facilitate a love of water and water play. Our swimming program extends that love to pool safety and learning to swim. Children over 3 years who are toilet trained are able to participate.

Our in-ground pool, designed specifically for teaching young children to swim, graduates from a depth of two to three feet. In the summer, our Staff expands to include Lifeguards and Water Safety Instructors. The program includes recreational swimming with optional group lessons also available.

Enrichment Activities

At least 2 days a week, children in the Preschool and Kindergarten classes participate in the Enrichment Program, which provides the opportunity:

  • to share in the excitement of different Teachers’ special interests and areas of expertise.
  • to meet and know most of the other Staff.
  • to experience more variety by attending activities that take place outside of their own regular classroom on most days.

Each Teacher from our Staff has selected a topic area and prepares a weekly program that is presented to the classes during their daily scheduled Enrichment sessions of one-half hour. The following sampling of topic areas may vary at different points in the year or change according to teacher availability:

  • Computer Lab
  • Special Science
  • Foreign Language, French or Spanish
  • Special Art
  • Cooking
  • Manners & Health
  • Music
  • Special Math
  • Gym/Creative Movement
  • Dramatic Play
  • Construction
  • Multi-cultural Activities
  • Story Stretchers
  • Sign Language

 

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