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A child's first experience with school sets the tone for his or her feelings about learning.
Within a secure, nurturing environment, MPFS preschool and specialist teachers engage children's natural curiosity, helping to build their confidence as they discover the world and find joy in learning. Association with a larger learning institution affords daily opportunities to interact with older students and adults who are role models/mentors and true friends. Being known within a strong, supportive community empowers these youngest students to take risks in their learning, to grow in independence, and joyfully embrace their own individuality.
MPFS' preschool is a sequential two-year program for three to five year-olds which encompasses academic, social, emotional and physical development, and provides a bridge to rigorous lower school classes. In a school day balanced between learning through thoughtfully structured multi-sensory lessons and free play, our child-centered curriculum provides a strong foundation in basic skills in literacy, math, self-care, art, science, physical education, Spanish, music and social studies, including conflict resolution and community building.
PreK-3
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Creative, open-ended experiences with materials ranging from shaving cream and paint to yarn and glue teach the process of art and provide the PreK-3's opportunities to express themselves artistically.
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Exploration and observation in science opens young minds to new concepts. The natural world is of particular interest to preschoolers who are always seeking answers to the question: "Why?".
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PreK-3 students receive instruction from specialist teachers in music, library, Spanish, chorus and physical education.
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Each day, students experience time outdoors in the MPFS play yard, making full use of the facilities to run, jump, swing, gallop, hop, and climb, playing with others in different classes, all the while developing physical strength, stamina and gross motor skills.
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Math is encountered each day, just as it is in everyday life. Anything and everything that can be counted is counted and students work on recognizing numbers, patterns, shapes and sorting. All manner of materials and manipulatives are used: beads, blocks, links, shells, apples, bears, elephants, Unifix cubes, Lego blocks and more.
PreK-4
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During choice time, children have opportunities to engage in imaginative play, pretending, dressing up, building with blocks and other materials. This is an important time of communication and problem solving when teachers work with students to assure that every voice is heard.
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As fine motor skills and phonemic awareness develop, emergent readers/writers are encouraged to use developmental spelling (sounding out) in daily journal entries to describe what's happening in their drawings.
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Authentic service learning increases preschoolers’ awareness of helping others through simple means, right here in our backyard.
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PreK-4 students enjoy spending time with their older partner each week at Meeting and throughout the school year for special projects, lunches and games. They look up to their older partners who are both role models and true friends.
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Each day begins with morning circle when students greet each other, find out about the events of the day, ask questions and share insight about topics important to them. This is also a time of learning, with opportunities for the integration of math and language concepts through games, song, movement, poetry and books.