9949 Mccree Road, Dallas, Texas 75238, United States
Emergent Curriculum
Free Play
At each developmental stage, the importance of free play is always relevant. Children learn from playing side by side as well as together in groups. Children are able to freely explore the classroom as every area is open. Moving from one activity to the next, children control their learning and explore their interests. Provocations will be set up in the classroom to expand on a child's learning. Children learn the importance of setting boundaries, becoming a leader, helping others, respecting friends, and cooperation in free play.
Art/Music
Art will focus on process art instead of product as children will be able to go back to projects and add or change the project in some form. We want to focus on the experiences that children have in art whether it is playing with shaving cream and mixing colors or creating a snowman with clay and gluing items on and painting it.
Music is a wonderful expressive language. Children enjoy songs with hand motions as they are able to freely express themselves during this time. We want them able to dance and sing sometimes with additional objects such as egg shakers and scarves and other times just dancing with friends.
Cooking
Children are able to learn the basics of cooking with measuring, learning numbers, spatial awareness, letters, mixing, pouring and more. Again we focus on the experience of cooking and the process of cooking. Children may notice if we added too much baking soda, salt, flour, or honey. We focus on healthy ingredients and recipes to make some tasty snacks or birthday treats!
Science
Our science program will work closely with the outdoor classroom. Children will have many different experiences and learn to ask questions, but also learn how to answer those questions. We want children to observe, but also use their five senses to help answer questions when other children ask. For example, "What is happening when ice melts?" Children may say: "It is getting warmer." "Water is dripping off of it." "it is melting in my hand."
Outdoor Classroom
Children will bring much of their learning outside creating an outdoor classroom for them to learn in. We will be creating fairy gardens to foster imaginative play. We will also be creating a garden for the children to work on gardening skills and hopefully grow some of their own fruits, herbs, and vegetables.
Individualized Goal Setting
At the beginning of the year, teachers will determine what goals they want your child to work towards. Each child will have their own set of goals to work towards. If they meet those goals new ones will be created for them so that they are always challenged. We encourage them to keep persevering and to be proud of what they can do.
Gardening
Children will have the chance to go to the school community garden to help take care of the plants. Everything from planting, watering, picking, and eating will take place there. They will learn where their food comes from and be able to use those items for snack and cooking.
Holidays
We love to teach about all different holidays at our school. Holidays are taught in a secular context without religion. We teach about the different ways holidays may be celebrated as well as the symbols during those holidays. They may try different foods, activities, and hear different music.
Friday Dance Parties
We like to celebrate the end of each week with a dance party on Fridays! We love to teach the children new dances or hear new music as we have our weekly favorites too. Such a great way for the whole school to get together!