Curriculum

The Country Day Nursery School at St. Bartholomew's, LLC, (CDNS) serves an international community interested in a bilingual (English/German) education and exposure to both German and American traditions. Furthermore, the individual needs and interests of each child are supported within the framework of family experiences.

• Ages range from 3 to 5 years
• Depending on the number of applicants, age groups may be combined, i.e. one English group 3 to 5-year olds and one German group 3 to 5-year olds or 2 individual groups, one 3-4 year olds and one 4-5 year olds, English or German.
• Hours of the regular programs are Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 12 Noon or 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. We offer additional programs from Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM or 8:00 AM to 5:30PM (details are listed under "program and tuition", page 5).

Curriculum

In our curriculum, goals are specified in all areas of development. The physical, social, emotional, and cognitive domains of child development are interrelated. Development in one domain influences and is influenced by development in other domains.

Social-Emotional Growth

In developing the social-emotional growth, the children are encouraged to further strengthen their trust towards people outside the family unit, to acknowledge being part of a group, to become aware of the consequences of their own actions and to develop creative problem solving skills.

We provide a nurturing environment, which is conductive to role playing in different group constellations, which stimulates conversations as well as strengthens and supports positive social interaction. Our goal is for each child to find his/her individual place within the group as a whole, and to develop respect for the rights of others. The confidence and self-esteem of each child is of utmost importance.

Language Development

Instructions at the Country Day Nursery School at St. Bartholomew's are bilingual, English and German. One of our most important goals is the advancement of language and customs in the context of the local cultural setting. Teacher/child and group interactions enhance individual language skills (i.e. group discussions, story time, songs, poems, finger rhymes, riddles, role-playing, and retelling of stories.

Cognitive Growth

Our task as teachers is to expose children to experiences, which will result in the creation and reinforcement of neural pathways. Through his/her encounters, both planned and unplanned, the child becomes "wired" for future tasks. Our program emphasizes physical involvement in the learning process. Children learn by doing, not by thinking about doing.

A major goal is to help children develop a positive attitude toward the learning process. Children are encouraged to ask questions and to explore. This enhances their ability to solve problems, recognize cause-and effect relationships, and learn how to plan ahead. Children are also encouraged to try out their ideas, to experiment, and to use different materials creatively.

Physical Growth

We offer a broad range of age appropriate motor development opportunities within the context of daily activities. Each student progresses at an individual pace according to age, developmental stage, innate abilities, and previous experiences. Various methods lead to the promotion of balance, coordination, confidence, and control. Large motor skills are enhanced by outdoor activities such as running, jumping, throwing, and riding tricycles. Indoor activities designed to coordinate eye and hand movements, manipulate small objects and to refine self help skills include the use of scissors, assembling puzzles, preparing food, and building with blocks.

The creative process is more important than the product. Through art, children express how they feel, think, and view the world. Using art materials also encourages children to make choices, try out ideas, plan, and experiment. Art enables children to learn while expressing themselves and having fun. We provide a variety of attractive materials since children are deeply affected by aesthetic experiences.

Music and Movement

Through the performing arts children discover ways in which to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings. To achieve this we prepare and offer a classroom filled with rich and varied opportunities to dramatize, make music and move. We as teachers encourage creative expression rather than to teach specific skills.

Children grow emotionally, socially, creatively through spontaneous music, movement and drama. We support children's innate desire to create, express and perform in building on their natural curiosities, sparking their imaginations, and providing opportunities for verbal and physical expression. Higher-order thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, are also developed through activities that promote self-expression.

Children's involvement with performance is not only in the arts but also in everyday life situations. Almost any activity has the potential for our children to perform, to be seen, and to be acknowledged (i.e. jumping as high as possible, telling a joke, making funny faces).

Daily Schedule

The daily schedule reflects the needs and the abilities of the children in the classroom. Our program supports the entire learning process by offering free play, circle time and outdoor activities. (I.e. 8:00 -10:00 AM free play and individual snack time, 10:00 - 10:15 AM clean-up, 10:15 - 11:00 AM circle time, 11:00 - 12:00 noon outdoor play, 12:00 - 12:30 PM lunch, 12:30 - 1:30 PM circle time, English and /or German language (books, music, art, rhythmic) 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. outdoor play. (The scheduled times may vary depending on the class theme(s) and the weather conditions).

Parental Involvement

A successful partnership between teachers and parents is essential for the growth of each child. Parents possess a wealth of information about their children, just as teachers bring with them knowledge of child development and early childhood education, which the nursery school program is based upon. It is important to establish channels of communication from the very beginning by holding an open house, and parent/teacher conferences. We set up a message center, and invite the parents to become involved in classroom activities such as our "Heritage Month" in March.