The order of the day at The Room To Grow:
It is important, in a program that gives great parameters to children for personal choice and discovery, that there is also a strong framework for this to occur in. The order of the day is predictable and reassuring for the newcomer as well as the child who has been with us for some time. A typical day would be….
| 7:30 – 8:00 | Early extended care arrivals. |
| 8:00 – 9:00 | Gradual arrival. Parents are encouraged to take the time they need to support their child in a successful transition and to make meaningful connections with the teachers, other parents and the children. |
| 9:30 | Morning Meeting. The entire school gathers to greet one another, find out what is happening that day, share news, a song and a book. |
| 9:45 | Morning Snack. Family style, fruit, milk, crackers. |
| 10:00 – 12:00 | Morning project time, indoor & outdoor classroom. The school is open as is the outdoor space and children move freely through the program, engaging in work and activities. During this time, special activities occur on a rotating basis. These include yoga, music, nature walks, garden tending and trips to the library. |
| 12:00 | Clean-up Circle. Talk about what happened in the morning, tidy up the school and get ready for lunch. |
| 12:15 | Lunch. Children bring their own. Teachers join them for eating, conversation and later in the year a chapter book is read as a shared experience during lunch. |
| 1:00 | Three-year-old dismissal. Set up nap mats for extended day children. Literacy groups meet. |
| 3:00 | Four-year-old dismissal. Extended day children meet for late snack and to plan afternoon activities. |
| 3:30 – 6:00 | Afternoon project time, indoor & outdoor classroom. The format is the same as AM work time with much of the same materials available as well as unique projects developed by the group of children who stay for the afternoons. |