Course Description: 

Our program is the Virginia Preschool Initiative, which provides a high-quality preschool experience for 4-year olds.  The standards that our children learn are Virginia's Early Learning and Development standards. They focus on 6 areas of development for young children, which are Approaches to Play and Learning, Social and Emotional Development, Communication, Language and Literacy Development, Health and Physical Development and Cognitive Development.  The curriculum that we use is Tools of the Mind.  This curriculum is aligned with our Early Learning and Development standards to support the development of all children.

Instructional Philosophy: 

Our instructional philosophy is that students learn by taking an integrated approach. Exposure through various methods, whether it be hands-on, visually, or theme-based, ensures that students are taught about a topic across the content areas of Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science.

Preschool also offers activities to grow the students socially and emotionally.  They learn to regulate their behavior and be good citizens in the classroom by learning when and how to participate in groups, sharing learning with partners, and completing tasks independently.

Major Course Goals: 

Our teaching team will provide a program of study using the Early Learning and Development standards where our children feel loved and safe.  We hope to develop a differentiated and inclusive classroom where all children can learn.  We will use a wide variety of teaching strategies and educational materials to enhance the learning for all children.  All of this will prepare our children to enter kindergarten ready to learn.

Major Course Projects & Instructional Activities: 

The instructional activities in our program are developmentally appropriate for our very young learners.  Children learn through doing so many of our activities are hands-on experiences.  We must build up the children’s fine motor skills before they can write. Before we can expose children to a new concept, we must build their background knowledge and vocabulary.   

Course Assessment Plan

We will assess our children in the areas of literacy, math, social emotional and self-regulation 2-3 times a school year for the children to show what they have learned and how they have progressed over the year.

Classroom Expectations: 

We expect children to come to school on time every day, and to be open and willing to learn.  We expect children to be curious.  

Our classroom rules are:

        *Looking eyes.
        *Listening ears.
        *Quiet mouth.
        *Helping hands.
        *Walking feet.

We expect our student to:

• Be kind and respectful
• Learn and do our best
• Take care of our school

Supplies and Materials Needed: 

At preschool, we provide all the materials and supplies that your child will need to learn.

How Parents can reach me:

Email: jlpetty@mail.dps.k12.va.us

Phone: 1:30p.m.-2:00p.m. (434) 773-8301

Talking Points mobile app: text 322206 to (707) 203-2335