Welcome to the Butterfly Room!
This is a basic overview of our classroom and program to help keep you in touch with your child's education.
Communication: Please feel free to ask us any questions that you may have in regards to the class, your child, or the program. It is important to us that we keep very open communication with you about your child's needs, concerns, and overall wellbeing.
Independence: We encourage the children to be independent and self-reliant in cleaning up after themselves, getting ready, and doing basic tasks. If they are capable of doing it on their own we encourage them to do so.
Weekly Focus: Throughout the year we will work through weekly focuses on letters, numbers, shapes, colors, sequencing, comparing, sorting, and matching. Every week we have a bible theme as well as a classroom theme. We also rotate books, toys, and games throughout the room periodically according to themes we are doing.
Theme-based Curriculum: We have a balance of creative activities and skill building to prepare the children for kindergarten. For example, we will compare and make apples and sort and make patterns by color and size. We will measure and mix while making applesauce. We also do many different activities using children’s names. Once children can read their names we will count and sort by number of letters in their name, the first and last letter of their name. The year is packed with phonemic awareness activities. We teach letters and sounds, rhymes, syllables, and sight words.
Recess: We go outside everyday from about 11:00 to 11:50. Children are expected to have appropriate clothing to be outside during that time. We do not go outside if it is below 10 degrees. They also have gym time every day from 3:30-4:00. When it is warm enough to not wear snow pants, we go outside during this time as well.
Lunch: It is important that your child brings a balanced lunch to school. Fruit, vegetables, dairy, protein, and grains are all important for your child to be eating on a regular basis. We encourage them to eat their healthy foods first and unhealthy foods last. We do have a fridge and microwave to accommodate their needs.
Milk Cards: Milk Cards are available to be purchased in the school office if you would like your child to have one with their lunch. We offer 2% white milk Monday through Thursday and chocolate or white milk on Friday. When the card is finished we will put it in your child's file folder or on their cubby, so that you are aware that they are out.
Snack: A nutritious snack is provided everyday around 9:30 and 3:00.
Naptime: We have naptime everyday from 1:30-3:00. Please do not plan on picking up your child between these times. If you must pick them up, please let us know ahead of time so that we can make proper arrangements. Your child is allowed to bring a small soft toy to sleep with (please don't send noisy or light-up toys). Due to storage limitations in the cubbies we request that naptime blankets, pillows, and toys must remain small. We send their blankets home every Friday for them to be cleaned. If we need to work out another arrangement please let us know. If you do not want your child to nap please let us know and we will let them get up at 2:15 to do quiet activities.
Label: Please label anything and everything that you bring to school for your child...lunch box, coat, snow pants, gloves, hat, blanket, naptime toy, spare clothes, etc.
Show and Tell: Show and Tell is on Fridays. Your child may bring one item that either corresponds with the theme or letter of the week.
Chapel: Every Wednesday we attend Chapel with the entire school. During this time we sing songs, pray, and hear a short message. The children are allowed to bring money to put in the offering jar outside the classroom for this if they wish. The school donates the money received to various organizations and programs. Chapel starts at 9:10 am, please have your child in class by then so they can sit with their class.
Discipline: We try to give the children many options to correct their behavior before they are removed from the situation.
While at circle or stations:
- We use rephrasing and redirection.
- If that is ineffective they are given a warning for their actions.
- If they still don't correct, they are asked to move to the back of circle to a red rug - this removes them from the situation while still keeping them a part of circle time.
- If they still struggle on the red rug they go to a thinking chair where the teacher talks with them about their actions
If a child is disrupting their fellow students or is being harmful to other students: a teacher immediately takes them out of class on a walk to calm down and discuss what happened or they go to the office.
Parent Contact: Parent communication and consistency is important. We are able to handle the daily age appropriate misbehaviors and assure you we will contact you as necessary.
Summer Program: During summer we go on weekly fun and educational field trips. Past field trips include the zoo, Imaginarium, and the Natural History Museum.
Schedule: The following is the schedule we go by on a daily basis
9:00 Circle Time - this includes going over the theme of the day, books, using movement, and calendar.
9:30 Snack
9:45/10:00 Art Project - the students shift in groups to complete the art project for the day. While some students are working on the project, others participate in stations that include housekeeping, dramatic play, block area, manipulatives, science center, writing center, reading area, and the sensory bin.
11:00 Recess
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Jesus Time/circle - this includes songs and story board about the days lesson
1:30-3:00 Nap
3:00 Free choice for Stations - these are the same stations that are used during the art project time.