A Day At MCNS
A Typical Day at MCNS
For Explorers and Pathfinders (2 and 3 year olds)
Arrival 8:30 – 9:45: Children are greeted individually by teachers, then they wash their hands before starting their day. For the next hour or so, children make choices between dramatic play, reading books with a teacher, block building, working with vehicles, manipulatives, writing tools, and other open ended materials. Teachers help children initiate and sustain play with their peers, modeling kind language. Children often work with teachers on individual and small group art or science projects during this time.
Around 10:00 children will tidy the classroom and transition to Morning Meeting on the rug. During this meeting, the group sings songs that acknowledge and welcome each child, emphasizing the individual as part of the community. Teachers go over the plan for the day, and they read stories to the group. In Explorers, group conversations begin with simple questions and answers about the story and about their own experiences. Pathfinder teachers facilitate more complex discussions that continue to center children’s observations and comments.
Around 10:15, the children wash their hands before their mid-morning snack, which is provided by the school. Typically, we serve reliable favorites like bananas, graham crackers, clementines, yogurt and organic fruit bars.
Bath rooming and/or diaper changing may occur before or after snack, depending on the needs of the child. As a school that encourages children to have strong self-help skills and an awareness of public health issues, toilet use, hand hygiene, and covering coughs are part of the curriculum.
By 10:45ish, both Explorers and Pathfinders are heading to our rooftop playground one flight up from the school. Weather permitting, children spend a bit over an hour on the playground.
There may be some variation on the timing of the morning routine on Tuesdays when all the children have guided time in the Art Studio with Patty from Pathfinders. On Wednesdays each class has Music time with Louise, who is also a teacher in Trailblazers.
About noon, each class has lunch together in their respective classrooms, promoting conversation and community.
After lunch, between 12:30 and 12:45, children attending for the Half Day are dismissed.
Explorers and Pathfinders nap from about 1:00 to 3:00. Children who no longer sleep spend quiet time on their cots, listening to stories or music. After a while, they may look at books or play with quiet toys from home. All children nap in their own classrooms, supervised by their regular teachers.
A simple snack, also provided by the school, is served before the Full Day dismissal at 3:30.
For Trailblazers (4 year-olds):
At arrival time, children are welcomed into the classroom and, after washing hands, choose an activity that a teacher has arranged on one of the tables, such as water coloring or architectural blocks. The children are also free to choose from a selection of materials. Shortly after 9:00 am, the Trailblazers are ready for their Morning Meeting.
Morning Meeting for Trailblazers involves some direct introduction of beginning academics, especially math concepts such as patterning and comparisons. The Trailblazers are usually on the roof playground by 9:45, and they spend about an hour in outdoor play.
“After returning to the
classroom and washing hands, Trailblazers have their mid-morning snack and turn their attention to Work Time. Children are given a choice of working in blocks, dramatic play, or at the sand table, for example. Projects in this emergent curriculum have included creating boats, collages in the style of Lois Ehlert or Eric Carle. A few weeks into the first semester, they begin working on writing uppercase letters.
Trailblazers have lunch together a bit after noon. Everyone puts away their own lunch
boxes, half day students are dismissed, and children staying for Full and Extended
day set up their own cots in preparation for rest time. A teacher reads a chapter from classic books to the group, then children have more time for looking at books individually or in pairs before lights are turned off around 1:30. During rest time, some children sleep while others listen to stories or music. Usually, the children are all awake, putting on their shoes and putting away their cots and bedding by about 2:30.
Children have time for choice activities and a little snack before many are dismissed between 3:30 and 3:45.
Extended Day
Children who stay for Extended Day combine into a mixed age group. Most of the school year, all children will go to the roof playground from about 4:15 to 5:15. During the winter when we lose the daylight, children have time for active play in our indoor playroom. They also have time in the art studio working with crayons, washi tape, markers, colored pencils, glue sticks and sparkles.
Parents/caregivers may pick up children at their own convenience. School closes at 6:00pm.
