BEACON HILL NURSERY SCHOOL INC

THERE ARE SO MANY WONDERFUL MOMENTS IN A CHILD'S EARLY DEVELOPMENT AND TO BEGIN THE CORNERSTONE OF A CHILD'S EDUCATIONAL LIFE AT THIS MOMENT ENRICHES OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY AS WELL AS OUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE. BEACON HILL NURSERY SCHOOL WAS FOUNDED IN 1955. OUR PRIMARY MISSION: TO NURTURE OUR STUDENTS' INNATE CURIOSITY AND LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR A LIFELONG LOVE OF LEARNING. WE BELIEVE THAT CHILDREN WHO DEVELOP STRONG SELFCONCEPTS AND SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS ARE MOST SUCCESSFUL BOTH IN SCHOOL AND LATER IN LIFE.OUR TODDLER PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TODDLERS TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME HIGH QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES AS PRESCHOOLERS BUT ADDRESSING THE VERY SPECIFIC NEEDS, CHALLENGES, AND DELIGHTS OF THIS PARTICULAR AGE GROUP. CHILDREN MUST HAVE TURNED TWO YEARS OLD BY THE OPENING OF SCHOOL AND WILL ATTEND EITHER 2 OR 3 MORNING OR AFTERNOON SESSIONS EACH WEEK. OUR TODDLER TEACHERS HAVE DESIGNED A CLASSROOM, CURRICULUM, AND OUTDOOR SPACE THAT ADDRESS THE VERY SPECIFIC AND IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A TWO-YEAR-OLD; THEY HAVE SPECIFIC TRAINING IN "TODDLERHOOD AND ATTEND NATIONAL TRAININGS AND CONFERENCES ON THE SUBJECT OF "TODDLING TWOS" THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. OUR YOUNGER NURSERY STUDENTS, AGES 2.9 TO 3.11, ENJOY HAVING A SPACE OF THEIR OWN WHERE THEY CAN EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF CREATING ART WORKS AND PLAYING WITH TACTILE AND SENSORY MATERIALS. THE CHILDREN'S SOCIAL SKILLS ALSO BLOOM AS THEY LEARN ABOUT SHARING, TAKING TURNS, AND THE VALUE OF COOPERATIVE PLAY. THEY DISCOVER THAT THEY ARE PART OF A LARGER WORLD, AND THAT THE REWARDS OF FRIENDSHIP ARE PLENTIFUL. OLDER NURSERY FOUR- AND FIVE-YEAR-OLDS ARE BECOMING SKILLED ORGANIZERS AND UNTIRING NEGOTIATORS WHO APPRECIATE FAIRNESS, REASON AND LOGIC. MUCH TIME IS SPENT EXPLORING THEIR WONDERFUL IDEAS AND MAKING SENSE OF THE WORLD AROUND THEM. THE CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW CHILDREN TO EXPRESS THEIR INCREASING CONFIDENCE AND INDEPENDENCE, WHILE MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF THEIR NOISY CURIOSITY, ENERGY, AND ENDLESS ENTHUSIASM. THE JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP PACE WITH CHILDREN'S COGNITIVE, SOCIAL, AND PHYSICAL SKILLS WHICH ARE DEVELOPING AT A TREMENDOUS RATE. THROUGH DAILY DISCUSSIONS AND INDEPTH STUDY, WE NURTURE AND STIMULATE THAT GROWTH, WHILE ENCOURAGING SELF-CONFIDENCE, ENTHUSIASM FOR LEARNING, AND A RESPECT FOR OTHERS. TOPICS OF INTEREST ARISE FROM CHILDREN'S INTERESTS AND INQUIRY, AND PROJECTS MAY LAST A WEEK, A MONTH, OR A SEASON. EACH WEEK JUNIOR KINDERGARTNERS WRITE THEIR OWN BOOKS, DEVELOPING A TANGIBLE APPRECIATION FOR THE POWER OF THE WRITTEN WORD. JUNIOR KINDERGARTNERS EXPLORE MATH MANIPULATIVES THROUGH INDEPENDENT AND GUIDED ACTIVITIES, AND IN SCIENCE THEY ARE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE GUESSES, TEST HYPOTHESES, EXPERIMENT, AND EXPLORE THEIR DETAILED PROJECT WORK.THEY ARE MENTORS TO THE YOUNGER CHILDREN, EVEN READING TO THEM. THIS DISTINCTIVE POSITION IS A SOURCE OF TREMENDOUS PRIDE AND A FOUNDATION FOR SELF-ASSURANCE THAT WILL ACCOMPANY THEM TO THEIR NEXT SCHOOL EXPERIENCE.