Our Programs

Bright and cheerful classrooms contain a full range of play and learning opportunities. Art and craft projects are part of the work period along with puzzles, blocks, table toys and games. Books and music are an integral part of the curriculum, as well as enrichment programs. A twice-weekly music program is offered along with a nutritious snack each day.

Physical coordination and development are aided by active play on our well-equipped new outdoor playground and in our rainy day “Big Room” during cold or inclement weather. Each child develops at his/her own pace in small classes that allow for individual attention.

Age cut off for all classes is October 1st.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR 2023-2024 CLASS PROGRAM INFORMATION

Our Curriculum

AT HWCNS, our curriculum is a balance of social, emotional and academic learning. The focus of this balance of learning changes as the children progress through our 2, 3 and 4 year-old Programs, as you will see below. We also follow the Handwriting Without Tears Program (HWT) to support the academic elements and we use different age-appropriate, hands-on, tools from this program to help the children master handwriting in a fun and structured way.

In the 2's class, children are learning important social skills, such as separating from a parent or caregiver for the first time and sharing toys with a friend. Emotional skills, such as walking in line and sitting in circle time are also being developed. We introduce introductory pre-school academics, such as letter, number, shape and color recognition and simple counting. The Handwriting Without Tears materials support children with these skills and help them to develop the fine motor skills they will need to write in the future.

As children progress to the 3's class, the emphasis on the social skills increases. By this stage, children are interacting and talking much more with their peers and we are able to focus more on social skills, such as kindness and respect during their daily activities. The academic focus increases in the 3's also, with children developing their pencil grip and gaining more confidence in letter and number recognition. The HWT Program also supports the academic learning in the 3's class. The HWT Wooden Pieces are introduced to the children and they learn the concepts of ‘Big Line, Little Line, Big Curve and Little Curve', which will help them to recognize letter formation.

By the time the children reach the 4's class, whereas social and emotional skills are still very important (such as taking turns to speak in circle time), the focus on the academics increases in the 4's class, as we prepare the children for Kindergarten the following year. We also increase the use of the Handwriting Without Tears Pre-School Writing materials, such as the Stamp and See Screen, HWT Chalk Boards and the HWT pre-school workbook.

Additional Offerings

• Toddler & Me Program: Thursdays 9:15-10:30am: Click here to download further info and an application form
• Early Morning Drop Off (For All Children) : Monday-Friday: 8:00 or 8:30am - 9:00am  Children are dropped-off at either time and play in the classroom until the start of school
• Afternoon Enrichment: (For 3 and 4 year-olds) : Monday – Thursday: 1pm - 2:45pm
• Spanish Language Program: (For 3 and 4 year-olds) : Fridays 9am - 1pm
• Friday Friends: (For 3 and 4 year-olds) :  Fridays 9am - 11:30am or 1pm

Special Educational Activities include

• Reading & Writing Readiness Afternoon Enrichment:
  Letters, letter sounds and rhyming games, alphabet hunts, upper and lower case matching and writing activities is the focus on Monday and Wednesday afternoons during the Reading and Writing Readiness Enrichment. Children are having fun without even knowing they are learning the very beginning basics of reading. Children use their little fingers to create letters using a variety of methods, including our Handwriting Without Tears tools, shaving cream, play dough and wiki sticks, just to name a few. All lessons are hands on. There are different activities each week to enhance letter recognition and writing skills.
• Math & Science Afternoon Enrichment:
  Children learn all about the five senses, numbers and shapes, patterns, density, static electricity and chemical reactions on this fun afternoon during the Math and Science Enrichment. We perform experiments throughout the year and during our cooking unit we create delicious snacks and smoothies by measuring, pouring, counting, mixing and then eating our creations at the end.

• Yoga and Art Afternoon Enrichment:
  During Yoga and Art Enrichment, children participate in fun yoga games and activities and learn and practice strength, coordination and relaxation poses, all of which are based on a different literature or other theme each week. Examples of themes include Fall, Winter, Valentine's Day, Dr Seuss and Spring.  Following the yoga session, children develop their creativity and imagination further with a fun art project, such as creating Dr Seuss Truffula Trees or making Mindfulness Jars following reading from the book, “Peaceful Piggy Meditates”.

• Spanish Language Program:
  This program is offered on Fridays to our 3 and 4 year-olds. Spanish Enrichment at HWCNS is a wonderful opportunity for your child to be introduced to the Spanish language through activities, crafts, songs and games. They will enjoy learning how to identify different animals and colors, express their feelings, describe their clothes and practice their new vocabulary during show and tell and shared snack and mealtime. The class will also take a whimsical trip around the Spanish-speaking world learning about different customs, receiving stamps on their “pasaportes” and collecting souvenirs from their adventures. This high energy and fun way to learn Spanish is sure to capture your child's imagination.