Classroom Procedures & Routines

• Welcome to Brina Bug Preschool!

  Classroom rules are important to our class community. When students have rules, they know what the expectations are for them. They know what you want them to do, and they know that there are consequences for failing to follow the rules. Rules give students the structure they need and also help them feel that the classroom is a safe and predictable place.

  Here are some general terms we will use to help the children learn the rules:

  • Helping Hands

  • Say “Please” when you need help.

  • Listening Ears 

  • Quiet Voices 

  • Eyes Looking

  • Play together and share.

  • Walking feet.

  • Keep your hands to yourself.

  • Wait and take turns.
    
    
    

    
    
    

  DAILY ACTIVITIES:
  A consistent daily schedule is planned to offer a balance of learning activities. Learning is both formal and informal. Play is planned for every day. Listening is balanced with talking, group activities with solitary time, indoors with outdoors, quiet play with noisy play. Your child will have the opportunity for the following types of activities every day:
  • Group Activities
  • Self-directed Play
  • Music and Singing Activities
  • Story Time
  • Individual Activities
  • Outdoor Activities Lessons
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  WELCOME TO BRINA BUG PRESCHOOL 

  Our mission is to offer a high-quality neighborhood preschool that works collaboratively with parents to ensure every preschooler learns and grows in a nurturing and fun environment, setting the foundation for a lifelong love of education and success in school and life.
  
  Our primary goals include teaching children to:
  • Grow in understanding and appreciation of their friends
  • Learn to listen and follow directions
  • Enjoy creative expression through music, art, and other activities
  • Develop motor skills along with body awareness
  • Think and make choices for individual and small group activities
  • Feel confident, secure, and loved in the school setting
  • Establish healthy eating and handwashing habits
  • Develop a lifelong love for learning and exploration
  
  Our philosophy is that children learn best when they can actively interact with their environment.
  
  We are committed to helping each child develop fully – physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Each child is valued as a unique individual. Children can explore the materials, solve problems, develop skills, increase knowledge, or be creative in ways that help them to solidify their abilities at one level to be ready to move on to the next. Engage with the children in ways that develop strong language skills. All activities are developmentally appropriate and allow children to engage in activities at their own levels. Every child is able to develop fully according to his/her own interests and capabilities. So along with our outdoor program, we also focus on other areas for the individual child to grow in, such as;
  
  Social and emotional development-
  Social and emotional development involves communicating with others, attempting to solve problems, taking turns, and maintaining self-control.

  Both gross and fine motor skills-
  Gross motor skills are those skills that involve strengthening large motor muscles. Examples include running, jumping, kicking, balancing, and throwing. These skills are most often developed through extensive outdoor play.
  Fine motor skills are those skills that help strengthen small motor muscles. Often in preschool, we discuss how strengthening fine motor skills helps students with writing, however, fine motor skills are also needed for many self-help tasks like buttoning clothing, zipping jackets, and opening and closing objects like lunchboxes and backpacks. 

  The arts-
  The arts include observing and creating through music, paint, clay, drama, and more. We believe in providing all the materials necessary for children to express themselves and get early hands-on experiences with simple art mediums.
  
  Pretend play-
  Pretend play is a key part of early childhood development. It is often considered part of early literacy instruction as well as social and emotional development, but I wanted to mention it separately here. Through ‘pretend’ play children have the opportunity to act out different scenarios and practice skills they are learning. They also develop creativity, storytelling abilities, and simple problem-solving skills.

  Sensory play-
  Sensory play is a broad area that involves any activity that stimulates a child’s senses. It is often considered an area of science. The child's senses are touch, smell, taste, movement, balance, sight, and hearing. Sensory activities facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to use scientific processes while they play, create, investigate and explore.
  Research is new on this topic, however several small studies have said:
  Earthing (also known as grounding) refers to contact with the Earth's surface electrons by walking barefoot outside or sitting, working, or sleeping indoors connected to conductive systems, some of them patented,that transfer the energy from the ground into the body.
  Grounding or earthing is a therapeutic technique that focuses on realigning your electrical energy by reconnecting to the earth.
  Other benefits of walking barefoot include better control of your foot position when it strikes the ground. improvements in balance, proprioception, and body awareness, which can help with pain relief. better foot mechanics, which can lead to improved mechanics of the hips, knees, and core.

  
  BIRTHDAY POLICY:
  We love to celebrate our wonderful students!
  Birthdays are a very special day for your child. Please notify us in advance of any party plans. Parents may bring small desserts such as mini-cupcakes or cookies for their child’s class after lunch or an afternoon snack. Please think outside of the box as well! We will gladly send home party invitations provided ALL children in the class are invited.
  
  BITING POLICY:
  It is not uncommon for very young children to bite, however, it is a behavior that is taken very seriously and will not be tolerated. Whenever a child is bitten, the teacher’s first task is to comfort and reassure the bitten child. First aid will be administered. The offending child will be put in time out and both sets of parents will be advised of the incident. The children are reminded that teeth are for eating, not for biting. The children involved will be closely monitored.