SNACK TIME--By now, we're ready for a little morning snack, which the children bring in a bag separate from their lunch bags. One small healthful snack and a drink is all we need to get us through our busy mornings.
LARGE GROUP/RESOURCE--After snack, we do some activity as a whole class. Depending on the day of the week, we will either have Spanish class, go to the library, go to music, visit with the counselor, or have a parent come in and read to us. While we're together, we usually discuss what projects and activities we'll be doing in centers.
CENTERS--For centers, we break up into smaller groups, and each group workds on a different activity. The teachers always have fun things to make or games to play, each of which relates to the day's lesson. This is a time for hands-on learning and development of fine motor skills, and concepts such as letter names and sounds, shapes and colors, numbers and values, patterns and sequences, science discovery and social skills. Centers are essentially structured and purposeful "playtime."
PLAYGROUND TIME--When centers are done, we clean up, pack up and hit the playground for "gross motor skills development" like running, jumping, swinging, climbing and kicking and throwing balls.
NOON DISMISSAL--After having fun on the playground, we wrap up the day with a review of the day's concept, read another book, say prayers, and say good-bye to the "12 o'clock" children.
AFTERNOON--At about 12:30, the children who stay for lunch walk to the cafeteria and have lunch with their teachers. We return to the classroom at about 1:15 for storytime and a nap. Children who stay for extended school care (ESC) are dismissed to the ESC room at about 2:15, and the rest of the children are pciked up by their parents at 2:20.
