Program Levels - Preschool Program

Program Highlights   30 years as a renowned preschool program   NAEYC accredited   Tenured teachers   9 to 1 student to teacher ratio   40 acre wooded campus with ponies, sheep, goats, rabbits and chickens   Curriculum support classes, including Spanish, Music, Library, Physical Education & Environmental Education   Multi-age classrooms (age 3-5 combined)   Various program offerings from 3 half days to 5 full days   Numerous parent volunteer opportunities

The Preschool at High Meadows offers a community of teaching and learning unlike any other in the metro-Atlanta area.  From its inception in 1973, the High Meadows Preschool has emphasized developing the "whole child" and instilling in each child a love of learning.

A Center-Based and Inquiry-Driven Education

High Meadows preschool classrooms are designed to facilitate imagination, exploration and discovery.  Centers supporting a variety of curriculum areas, including math and language, provide a variety of materials for children to touch and manipulate, including blocks, paints, books, and objects from the natural world, such as fossils or seashells.  Each day includes both child-initiated and teacher-directed activities that value and emphasize the diverse interests and talents children bring to their learning environment.  High Meadows child-centered philosophy allows preschoolers to assume an important role in their learning process.

For example, a teacher may observe a child using a small manipulative as pretend money in the dramatic play area.  Teachers can then engage the children in a discussion about money and the tender we use in our country versus other cultures.  After the school day, children may ask their parents to help them find coins from other countries to share with their class.  Activities such as these provide teachers with the opportunity to introduce a wide variety of curricula, including world geography, math, cultural studies, and language arts.  Allowing children a voice in shaping their class studies and projects enhances children’s innate desire to learn.  At High Meadows, preschool is often the first step in a child’s journey of becoming a life-long learner.

Literacy Education

Literacy education also begins in the preschool classroom; at High Meadows, reading and writing are a part of every day.  Teachers read aloud to the class frequently throughout the day, and the classroom provides age-appropriate books for children to look at on their own.  Additionally, children journal regularly, using words or pictures, which offers them a purposeful and meaningful writing experience.  Most importantly, each child will engage the written word in a developmentally appropriate way.  Teachers provide hands-on activities designed to meet children where they are academically and to lead them to greater understanding and mastery of specific skills.  On-going evaluation allows teachers to determine how best to meet each child’s needs.

High Meadows Preschool Sample Daily Schedule

The times described are general and subject to change based on the daily circumstances. Our curriculum is child-driven and therefore we may continue a given activity past the designated time if the children are really engaged in the learning process. We strive to be both flexible and spontaneous. We don’t want to miss a wonderful learning opportunity simply to adhere to a schedule.

8:45-9:00 Arrival

As the children arrive, both teachers greet them as they begin their day. They are learning to put their belongings in their lockers in the hall and put their folders in their cubby. Activities are set up in our various learning centers. This is the time to greet friends and look around and explore the opportunities for the day.

9:15-9:40 Circle Time

This is our large group time. We focus on our listening and speaking skills, taking turns talking and sharing information. We usually recite a finger rhyme, sing a song or talk about a special event. We do our calendar math and weather activities each morning and perhaps read a story related to the current unit of study. We remind children of curriculum support classes and special events occurring that day. Finally, we explain what activities are in each center and encourage the children to choose a center.

9:45-11:00 Centers, Free Play & Snack

During centers children make choices, engage in problem solving, resolve conflicts, cooperate with others, share materials and ideas, and have a lot of fun. Some of the choices include math manipulatives, language and writing, art, blocks, housekeeping and water/sand/rice table. Children and teachers have snack together as a group. This is also the time when we utilize parent volunteers in the classroom.

As teachers we use center time to get to know the children as individuals, play games with small groups, provide structured inquiry opportunities around the current unit of study, and assess each child’s abilities. We also work one-on-one with children on a regular basis.

For 30 minutes each week children go to P.E. with Mrs. Allen, nature with John Dovic, music with ( ). Children also ride ponies under the guidance of Susan Brown and visit the library with Ms. Williams. Our preschool children also have Spanish and music once a week.

11:00-11:20 Clean Up and Circle Time

Clean up is a community event in preschool. Every child participates in putting away materials and cleaning the classroom. The children learn the value of working together to accomplish a task. During circle we recap the morning’s activities and talk about the things we learned and enjoyed. We usually have another story and review the finger rhyme from the morning circle. On rainy days we may listen to music, sing or dance.

11:20-11:50 Outdoor Play

Unless the weather is really stormy or extremely cold, we will go outdoors. We go into our “backyard” where the children run and play and exercise their imaginative creativity. The children play in the sandbox, slide and climb on the playground equipment, and generally have a wonderful time and use up lots of energy!

12:00 Carpool – Lunch for Full Day Children

At lunch the children sit and eat together. We share stories with one another and enjoy the company of our friends. As children finish their lunches they pack up their things, select a book and prepare to rest on their mat.

12:30-1:15 Rest Time

When everyone has completed lunch we put the books away and turn off the lights. The children are encouraged to relax. Classical music or books on tape provide a relaxed and calm atmosphere for the children. Sometimes teachers read softly to the group or older children look at books.

1:15-1:30 Circle

We generally have a short circle to give those that fell asleep time to wake up. (Yes, many of them do fall asleep!) During this circle we plan for the afternoon. We try to give the children a few choices for what they would like to do. We may read a story or discuss a new activity or project.

1:30-2:00 Outdoor Play

This is the same as the above outdoor play description, but there are very few children on the playground. The children seem to play together in larger groups and focus more on the social interactions involved in play.

2:00-3:00 Group Activities

We rely heavily on small group activities during this period of our day. We do a variety of special projects such as woodworking, group art projects, book making, and music and movement activities. There is some free play but most of the time is spent working in small groups of four or five children or even the whole group together. This is a special time for the children to learn to communicate with one another, cooperate together on projects, share ideas and make joint plans.

3:00-3:15 Prepare for Departure and Carpool