Preschool Classes
LIONS
(older 3 year olds and young 4 year olds)
The Lion’s room focuses on peer interactions and expressing emotions appropriately. The Lion room uses a Social Emotional Curriculum once a week called PATHS. This curriculum teaches children how to identify and express their emotions and how to react to their emotions and the emotions of others. Independence continues to be a focus in the Lion room. Problem solving skills are supported and developed this year. Children will continue to work on letter, number, shape, and name recognition. Children will also begin writing their names and identifying the names of their peers. Children are encouraged to engage in group play and teachers spend time supporting these interactions to ensure they are positive experiences.Teachers take time to set up dramatic and thematic play and learning experiences for the children to ensure their interests are met and that all children are excited by the learning process. During your child’s time at Little Lights you will notice that all of our classes incorporate a great deal of free play. This is the best way for children to learn. Teachers take this time to engage the children in conversation, develop social skills, and help extend the child’s thought processes.
The teachers in the Lion Room are Ms. Robin Lautsbaugh (rlautsbaugh@carlislepaumc.org) and Ms. Jackie Tritt (jtritt@carlislepaumc.org)
Read more about our teachers on the Staff Page.
DOLPHINS & HIPPOS
(4 & 5 year olds starting Kindergarten next year)
Kindergarten here we come! Is the theme for both our Dolphin & Hippo Rooms. Our teachers meet with school district representatives in Cumberland County annually to assess our curriculum and ensure it aligns with the Districts’ expectations. The Director of the program also attends collaboration meetings with district representatives on a bi-monthly basis. The Dolphin & Hippo rooms focuses on centers that will increase the academic success of students in Kindergarten. Language Arts and Math Centers are a vital part of the curriculum. In these centers teachers are able to interact in small groups or individually with students in order to help them improve writing skills, letter recognition, sequencing and counting.
Our center has also taken the initiative to include a Smart Board and an iPad in this classroom. These resources are used to help support the students as they prepare for Kindergarten. These technology tools are used in almost every district in the county and we want to ensure our students are familiar with everything they will encounter in their transition from Preschool to Kindergarten. There is an extended time spent in large group circle time to create a more Kindergarten like environment.
This classroom is not designed to be a Kindergarten classroom. It is designed to provide developmentally appropriate learning through projects, open ended conversations and both teacher and student directed activities. As always, you will continue to see a great deal of free play. Children learn best through play. Teachers take this time to engage the children in conversation, develop social skills, and help extend the child’s thought processes.
Our Dolphin teachers are Mr. Brandon Kerschner (bkerschner@carlislepaumc.org) and Ms. Lisa Myers .
Our Hippo teachers are Ms. Julie Walker (juwlaker@carlislepaumc.org) and Ms. April Miller (amiller@carlislepaumc.org)