The Pre-Kindergarten Program builds upon the play-based focus of the Junior and Senior programs to prepare children for learning beyond Ross Valley Nursery School. Our unique program balances this age-group’s continued need to move and play with the need to increase self-discipline and expand understanding of academic concepts. We nurture each child by building self-esteem and emotional health, increasing their ability to express thoughts orally, and accepting the needs of others through democratic problem solving and group planning.

Our whole-child learning curriculum balances quiet and active periods, and child and teacher directed activities, with an emphasis on independent work, cooperation, and acquisition of readiness skills. Leveraging the children’s longer attention spans and learning capacity, learning games help in the formation of basic math and language concepts, sorting, seriation, individualized cooking, book-making, and more complex crafts. It encompasses social/emotional development along side cognitive development. Most importantly, we plan activities around areas of particular interest to the children that emerge through exploration and conversation.

Weekly curriculum focus gives us the opportunity to explore, create, observe and build. These activities and experiences allow the children to learn a variety of skills, all while keeping true to our play-based philosophy.

Class Overview

Class Age: Older Four-year-olds and Five-year-olds

Days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Days: Wednesday

Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Class Size: 15 Children

Teachers:   2- 3 plus Head Teacher and Director

Class Schedule

Daily Schedule

8:30 - 9:10 - Outside Play

9:10 - 10:15 - Morning meeting, art project, free choice of activities

10:15 - 10:35 - Snack

10:35 - 10:50 - Music

10:50 - 11:45 - Block room activities, enrichment projects

11:45 - 12:30 - Outside Play

12:30 - 1:00 - Lunch

  1:00 - 1:45 - Quiet Time

  1:45 - 2:25 - Inside activities, enrichment projects and tactile experiences

  2:25 - 2:30 - Book/Dismissal