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<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 10pt;">Young children are naturally eager to learn and the mission of Beacon Hill Nursery School’s is to nurture that innate curiosity so that it may develop into a lifelong love of learning. Children who emerge from their earliest education experiences confident in themselves, empathetic towards others, and respectful of their surroundings become valuable contributors to their communities.<span style="font-family: Tahoma;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow';">The school’s curriculum exposes children to a diverse range of experiences, and with a major city as the setting, the curriculum takes advantage of a wealth of resources. Recognizing that play is the vehicle for young children’s learning, our teachers create environments that support and nurture children’s curiosity, protect and respect their trust in the adults around them, and understand and utilize the learning opportunities that abound in a child’s daily delight in life. Our teachers serve as guides throughout the children’s days and as partners with families throughout the year’s journey.</span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 10pt;">Creating the physical environments which provide learning opportunities for young children showcases the talent of our teachers. Every room is equipped with blocks, a dramatic play area, a sand/water table, literacy centers, and a variety of manipulative games. During activity time, the curriculum is “integrated”; that is, planning revolves around a unit theme tying in the activities of different areas of the room. In addition to the activities available every day, special projects relating to the theme are presented at a group meeting. Children take responsibility for choosing their activities, which teaches independence while recognizing individual preferences for media and learning styles. Teachers are acutely aware of children’s interests and are vigilant should excitement for learning an unplanned theme become evident. “Emergent curriculum” is the practice of nurturing that excitement and supporting learning even if it means changing directions. </span></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 10pt;">T</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow';">he day has a regular routine which structures the program in a predictable way, balancing independent activity with small and large group times, and quiet choices with active ones. The carefully planned sequence and content keep children involved and focused. Ideas from children are encouraged and developed with the help of the teaching team. Interactions between adults and children at the school are characterized by respect for one another. Stories are read every day. The children’s library has over 5,000 titles including books, tapes, big books, videos, and recordings for children. Each class enjoys a special library time on a weekly basis. Outside play on two on-site playspaces is a daily event, and the gym affords children opportunities for gross motor play even in inclement weather.</span></p>