Part-Day Preschool Program
8:30 - 12:30
Unity's Sea Turtle Class
3.5-5 year olds
We are excited to offer a new part-day preschool class! This class will be a blend of 3.5 - 5 year olds. It will share a classroom with our after-school group, meaning this part-day class will be offered in the
morning hours, between 8:30-12:30 leaving
the classroom available to our after-school group in the afternoon. There will
be some flexibility with morning drop off. We open at 7 a.m. so if you need
childcare before 8:30, we
can make that work!
This class also differs from our other preschool programs because it will follow the 4J closure schedule so the after-school group can use the room on their ‘No School’ days. Due to these days off,
the tuition rates will be lower than the rates of our other preschool classes. We will give you a calendar of days off once you enroll so that you may make your plans accordingly.
Our child centered High/Scope
curriculum will be used for this class just like in the other preschool classes. Another cool thing about this class is that there is a door that opens up from the
classroom to our beautiful organic garden, giving more gardening opportunities for this group than the other groups. The classroom is also the biggest classroom in our school (with a capacity of 24 children) but this class
will not have more than 14 children, giving the kiddos plenty of space!
Ages 2-5 Programs
7:00 - 6:00
Come and play! The Unity School curriculum and daily routine are based on the High-Scope curriculum - a child-centered program for the development of cognitive, social and physical skills through a hands-on approach.
Varied and fun activity centers offer opportunities for play, exploration and learning at a relaxed pace, while more structured teacher-directed circle and small group times introduce new skills and develop the ability to work in a group. Two-, three- and four-year old classes encourage lots of social learning, and mixed-group opportunities offer a chance to stretch and grow.
Each classroom develops a weekly or biweekly focus by brainstorming together and creating ‘concept webs’ that branch off of the previous week’s focus. They are often about the world around us … from our own neighborhood, to peoples and cultures around the world …folk tales or dinosaurs, recycling and ecology, gardening or the solar system…wherever a child’s curiosity leads us!
Ages 5-11 Programs
7:00 - 6:00
Unity Otter Class
Unity School offers recreational programs before and after school for elementary-age children from Kindergarten through 5th grade. Transportation is available by bus to and from several nearby schools (Please call for
availability).
Full day programs are available during school holidays and summer
vacation for children through age 11.
Located in our largest classroom, our school-age care program (known as the Otter Class) is a place where children have opportunities to build community among their multi-aged peers and be received with warmth and
friendship after a
full day of school.
We use the High Scope curriculum, where the focus is on “active, participatory learning”. When children arrive in the Otter classroom, they have some time to work on homework with the assistance of the teachers.
At group time they play games, listen to stories and engage in social problem solving as a group. They have a snack, then get down to the business of play—whether it is building with Legos, creating artwork, crafting, or dramatic play, the children are unwinding after a day of structure and schedules.
We provide an environment which is both enriching and stimulating, one that builds
on our philosophy of respect for nature, peaceful conflict resolution and
community service.
Frequent field trips on no-school days reflect our efforts to model social responsibility. The Otters are involved in the planning of trips to plant trees, deliver donations collected for various community organizations, visiting retirement homes, and working at Grassroots Garden.
Otters have hiking excursions and picnics at parks and playgrounds. Our Otters also have daily opportunities to work in our own garden planting seeds, caring for the garden, harvesting and preparing food with the fruits and vegetables that they grew!
Summer Programs
Children need unstructured time in nature to immerse themselves in play. At Unity School, we offer outdoor summer activities in which our vast play yard becomes the classroom.
We spend nearly all of our time exploring outside, interacting with mixed-aged groups as children from all of the classrooms play together in the yard throughout the day. We bring the classroom outside, providing sensory, dramatic play, science and art activities in our large, shaded play yard.
We also furnish toys and props that promote large motor movement and cooperative play. We take field trips and do lots of gardening, too! We celebrate the beginning and end of summer with a family picnic and an ice cream social.