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Notes for Prospective Students
Early ChildhoodBirchwood School of Hawken`s early childhood program
attends to young children in their burgeoning engagement with the
world around them, nurturing their curiosity and fostering the
competency human beings require for self-worth. Rather than
claiming one overarching theory (such as Montessori or HighScope),
our program flows from our mission to address the unique potential
and growth pace of individual children. Teachers deftly employ
time-tested pedagogies which will meet the needs of particular
children at different times. Close observation of children`s
interests and abilities allows teachers to plan for the next step
of individual children`s growth. The play-based curriculum provides
space for learning to emerge from children`s interests as well as
from worlds introduced to them by their teachers and peers. The
school day includes extended open-ended play time both indoors and
outdoors, where they can dig in the dirt or climb up a slide. Art
and music expression are integral to a literacy rich
environment. Children often engage in loose parts play, which
allows them to study a concrete object, such as sticks or buttons,
through play and engagement with various forms and types of the
object. This type of play encourages children to make connections
with other knowledge they possess and begin to create new paths of
understanding: the hallmarks of creative thinking and
problem-solving. Additionally, if children demonstrate
readiness and interest, they may begin to read and develop spatial
and numerical understanding to their capacity; we do not ask them
to wait until kindergarten. We divide our early childhood program
into two rooms: Seedlings 3-4 year olds Sprouts 4-5 year olds Two
teachers oversee up to 14 Seedlings, and two teachers oversee no
more than 16 Sprouts. Children loop with the same teachers and
remain in the same room for their two early childhood years.
The day starts with drop-off beginning at 8 a.m. The class comes
together to start their day at 8:30 a.m. Children rest during the
day and eat a lunch and two snacks provided by their parents.
Children are dismissed at 3:20 p.m. Before care is available
beginning at 7 a.m. and after care is open from 3:20 p.m. until 6
p.m.