LJCDS Early Childhood Center

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER

I

n the Early Childhood Center (ECC), children

learn together in a warm, spirited, caring, child-centered environment. The sound of children’s laughter, the joy of discovery, and a sense of pride in one’s accomplishments are celebrated. Whether unearthing dinosaur bones buried in the sandbox, blending letter sounds to read a first word, navigating the challenges of friendship, or learning to identify and express emotions, at Country Day, the intellectual, social, and emotional life of each child is honored.

Through diverse styles and interests, the ECC teachers inspire creativity and imagination. They provide choices and encourage risk-taking opportunities in a safe, nurturing setting. Recognizing and embracing each child’s unique qualities, similarities and differences are celebrated. Teachers cultivate the gift of curiosity and provide the tools to access information and knowledge.

Their goal is to foster a love of knowledge and enhance the wonder of learning with a rich and varied curriculum.

Preparing individuals for a lifetime of intellectual exploration, personal growth, and social responsibility

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER Building the foundation

The goal of the ECC is to provide each child an environment which offers developmentally appropriate activities to encourage social, emotional, cognitive and physical growth.

THE CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED TO • Provide a relaxed transition from home to school • Provide an atmosphere in which the child feels safe to ask questions and try new activities • Help children develop a positive sense of self and independence • Extend and deepen each child’s understanding of the world around him/her • Guide each child toward more satisfying relationships with peers and adults

• Teach acceptable outlets for emotions and the skills of communication • Develop each child’s creativity though music, literature and the visual arts • Develop each child’s cognitive skills: ability to see relationships, to generalize, to arrange and rearrange information, and think critically, so as they grow they are able to synthesize new information and concepts • Foster each child’s love of learning

“ We honor the intellectual, social, and emotional life of each child.”

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS & AGE REQUIREMENTS TIny Torreys Age 3 by August 31st WEEKLY OPTIONS 3 Full Days Monday | Wednesday | Friday 8:00am to 3:00pm 5 Half Days Monday thru Friday 8:00am to Noon 5 Full Days Monday thru Friday 8:00am to 3:00pm Jr. Kindergarten Age 4 by August 31st WEEKLY OPTIONS 5 Half Days Monday thru Friday 8:00am to Noon 5 Full Days Monday thru Friday 8:00am to 3:00pm

W

ith a firm understanding of child development,

the teachers recognize that children grow at different rates and have different needs. To support all stages of a child’s development, a number of curriculum models are incorporated. Play is the work of the young child and is understood to be a primary means for learning. The teacher’s role is to prepare the environment and offer materials that encourage learning and exploration.

Included in the daily activities are formal lessons.

Teacher-directed instruction may be offered to the whole group, a small group, or an individual child.

These lessons may focus on math, early literacy, language and fine motor. The role of the teacher is to instruct the children and to offer materials that help them practice certain skills in these areas.

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER Curriculum

The ECC curriculum is both dynamic and comprehensive, incorporating subjects such as Spanish, Music, Physical Education and Library taught by specialists. Outlined below are the skills and content taught in each curricular area during the Tiny Torreys and Jr. Kindergarten years.

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT The moral and ethical tone of the school is maintained by a commitment to the Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.

Our Students • Separate easily from parent • Develop sense of self as a valued and responsible member of the group • Develop emotional security, trust and empathy • Understand expectations for behavior and participate appropriately in classroom activities • Exhibit skills to attend and focus • Develop and maintain satisfying relationships with others; show respect, cooperate, work together • Express ideas for activities, initiate and participate in discussions, identify and describe feelings (sadness, anger, fear and happiness) • Follow classroom routines and participate in activities with minimal teacher direction • Gain positive social behaviors and manners such as: helping, taking turns, saying “thank you” and “please” • Develop impulse control, self- regulation and conflict resolution skills; demonstrate self-help skills • Understand how to meet and greet adults with confidence and respect

LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT • Listen intently; gain ability to answer comprehension questions • Learn to ask questions and solve problems with peers • Increase vocabulary • Connect spoken language with the written word through dictation of stories and experiences • Recognize own name and classmates’ first names; recognize upper and lower case letters of the alphabet; develop and demonstrate beginning sound/symbol correspondence • Develop ability to rhyme simple words • Develop ability to sequence (beginning, middle, and end) • Extend and reinforce the skills that they already have MATH SKILLS • Develop skills to sort and classify by color, shape, size and number • Create patterns with concrete materials • Recognize numbers; gain the ability to count and sequence • Develop one-to-one correspondence • Develop basic shape recognition (e.g., circle, square, triangle, rectangle, and cube) • Develop visual perception skills to recognize similarities, differences, size, directionality and details • Extend and reinforce the skills that they already have

ART and MUSIC • Experiment with a wide variety of art media, tools and materials: painting, collage, clay, drawing, etc.

• Express thoughts and emotions • Develop the imagination • Learn simple songs and finger plays • Participate in rhythm and creative movement activities • Learn names and proper use of a variety of hand-held musical instruments • Listen to a variety of recorded music Science • Develop inquiry, problem solving and decision making skills • Participate in simple experiments and develop skills of observation and prediction • Investigate properties of objects, both living and non-living • Explore the concept of change in living and non-living entities and in the environment • Acquire vocabulary Social Studies • Share home, culture, holidays, traditions and language • Understand self, family and the world; gain respect for individual and group similarities and differences • Identify and discuss the duties of a variety of community helpers (e.g., nurse, postal clerk) • Identify tools used for different occupations • Explore simple maps and their geographic symbols

• Develop correct use of scissors, brushes and glue; develop correct pencil grasp • Participate in daily outdoor play and physical education • Demonstrate the ability to crawl, walk, climb, run, dance, jump, throw, catch; demonstrate the ability to ride, push and pull wheeled toys Health and Safety • Develop self-help and personal hygiene skills • Participate in food preparation activities and a sampling of a variety of nutritious foods • Gain an understanding of good dental hygiene • Demonstrate proper hand washing, particularly after using the toilet, before eating or preparing food, and after sneezing or coughing • Participate in earthquake preparedness, fire and disaster drills • Demonstrate expected behavior and proper use and care of materials and equipment to keep self and others safe from mental, physical and emotional harm Community Service • Participate in age appropriate community service activities • Gain an understanding of the need to help others and give back to the community • Develop an awareness of being a part of a bigger community and how one can help make it a better place

Dramatic Play • Enhance communication skills and expand vocabulary, express thoughts and emotions • Explore the use of props, costumes, and puppets • Develop the imagination • Learn about self and others • Dramatize familiar roles and activities of different family members and community members • Dramatize community roles and activities

Physical Education Tiny Torreys and Jr. Kindergarten meet with the PE Coaches 5 days a week for 20—30 minutes. Jr. Kindergarten has PE in the Gym; Tiny Torreys use the Lower School playing fields. Activities include: loco motor skill development, cooperative games, throwing/catching/kicking, jump rope, parachute, balance, tumbling, etc.

Small and Large Motor Skills • Develop skills to grasp, pinch and pull small objects; buttoning, lacing, zipping, molding, cutting, and writing • Develop skills to pour liquids and pass objects

World Languages-Spanish Jr. Kindergarten has Spanish twice a week for 20 minute sessions. The program is experiential, with vocabulary and conversation taught through age appropriate activities. Emphasis is on listening and speaking.

LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL CONTACT INFO: ADMISSION@LJCDS.ORG 858.453.3440 x132 9490 GENESEE AVENUE LA JOLLA CA 92037 WWW.LJCDS.ORG