First Friends Nursery and Preschool

Curriculum

The Creative Curriculum will address the Socio-Emotional, Cognitive and Physical Development of the whole child. It will address the Socio-Emotional Development by allowing the children to experience a sense of self-esteem, exhibit a positive attitude towards life, and demonstrate cooperative, pro-social behavior. The Cognitive Development will be addressed by allowing the children to acquire learning and problem solving skills, expand logical thinking skills, acquire concepts and information, leading to a fuller understanding of the immediate world, demonstrate skills in make-believe play, expand verbal communication, develop beginning reading skills and acquire beginning writing skills.

Fine Motor Activities

'Fine motor' refers to the development of small muscle movements of the hands. Fine motor skills develop as your child's whole body gains mobility, stability cognitive, and emotional/social development. These activities will develop the child’s muscular coordination and development which is a prerequisite for writing.

The Virtues Project

The Virtues Project was founded in 1991 by three concerned individuals who made a commitment to do something to counteract the rising violence among families and youth. Our school will infuse the virtues such as kindness, honesty, compassion and love for humanity into the daily lives of our children. Virtues based projects and community service activities will allow our children to put their skills into action, which will ultimately benefit our island home.

Twice a month at First Friends, we focus on developing and strengthening one specific virtuous quality. Teachers will consult about the quality, in order to prepare various activities associated with it. Twice a month parents will receive a note about the particular virtue with suggestions of how to focus on it within the family home. Teachers and children will look out for situations when somebody expresses a certain quality. The teachers will use situations when a certain quality has been manifest as an opportunity to talk to the children about it. Teachers will prepare activities during the regular daily routine that enable children to express these good qualities.

Spanish

Your child will learn to understand and express themselves using basic Spanish greetings, numbers, colours, family, elements of Hispanic culture and much more. All of this will be achieved through a series of games, songs and small group lessons.

Sensory Activities

Sensory activities stimulate your young child’s senses: touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. Sensory activities facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to use scientific processes while they play, create, investigate and explore.

Field Trips

Field trips to various locations around the island will allow the children to make connections with their learning experiences in other environments.

Life Skills

Life skills are exercises that allow each child to develop and utilize the tools needed for day to day activites.

Curriculum to include:

Blocks

Table Manipulatives

Art

Sand and Water

Library

Music and Movement

Cooking

Computers

Outdoor Play

The Following optional programs will be offered

Pizza Lunch Fridays

*Nominal fee will be charged for optional programs