Kangaroos and Monkeys (3-5 years)

• Age: usually 3 to 5 years of age in September. This is our preschool group.
  
• Teachers: two teachers in each classroom.
  
• Group size: 14 children in the Kangaroo group; 18 children in the Monkey Group.
• Our excellent teacher-student ratio allows us to continue to foster skills first established in our younger classrooms.
• We emphasize play and challenging experiences.
• Classrooms are designed to promote independence, positive sense of self, confident decision-making, effective communication and sense of mastery.
• At this stage of development, social interaction becomes more intense and children work toward sharing objects and ideas.
• Teachers plan activities around the interests of the children and validate their ideas.
• Problem-solving skills are encouraged through hands-on experiences that include cooking projects, scientific experiments, field trips and a variety of age-appropriate materials. 
• Our preschool classrooms also incorporate the Second Step curriculum, which is designed to enhance a child’s empathy skills and outline how to conduct neutral problem solving. 
• There is additional information for parents regarding this curriculum available in the office. Each classroom presents a monthly calendar outlining a theme and specific goals for the month.