Dear Parents and Guardians!

 Bright Futures Preschool started functioning in August  1st, 2015

BFP always welcomes children with a smile, gives them a big hug and tells them how glad our stuff is to see them. There is always welcoming, friendly atmosphere.  It is important for teachers and the school itself to create a positive and engaging atmosphere, which means that children will learn better and develop necessary skills.

The pedagogical system in this chapter we take a focused look at curri­culum and pedagogy. In an important sense, pedagogy is the overarching concept; it refers broadly to the deliberate  process of cultivating develop­ment within a given culture and society.  From this point of view, pedagogy has three basic components:  (1) curriculum, or the content of what  is being taught; (2) methodology, or the way in which teaching  is done; and

(3) techniques for socializing children in the repertoire of cognitive and affective skills required for successful functioning  in society that education is designed to promote.

Curriculum, or the content of teaching,  may be designed to encourage learning processes (memory, attention, observation)  and cognitive skills (reasoning, comparing and contrasting, classification), as well as

the acquisition of specific information, such as the names of the letters of the alphabet. The teaching strategies or methods used in implementing the curriculum are the arranged interactions of people and materials planned and used by teachers. They include the teacher's  role, teaching styles, and instructional techniques. The third aspect of pedagogy, which might be thought of as cognitive socialization,  refers to the role that teachers in early childhood settings play, through their expectations, their teaching strategies, their curricular emphases, in promoting the repertoire of cognitive and affective characteristics and skills that the young child needs to move down the path from natal culture to school culture to the culture of the larger society.

Curriculum in BFP

The Montessori approach,  promotes children's active, independent observa­tion and exploration of concrete materials to develop concepts/skills. Through this activity children develop a clear image of what they were trying to accom­plish, thus developing self-discipline,  self-reliance, and intrinsic motivation. High/Scope is one of the most widely adopted preschool curriculum  models to have emerged during the early days. The curriculum offers children active engagement  in planning their learning, as well as opportunity to enhance language and develop concepts through experiencing and representing diffe­rent aspects of classification, striation, number, spatial relations and time.

Learn through play

The program at Bright Futures Preschool places an emphasis on social deve­lopment through the play and free choice academic tasks. Learning a school daily routine and structure is the main goal in order to make the children's transition from their  homes into the classroom as fluid and predictable as possible. Bright Futures Preschool is an academic readiness program desig­ned for  18 month and five year old children. Bright Futures operates (5) days perweek, calendar days of the school year. Our goal is to provide preschoolers and their parents the necessary tools needed to succeed in their academic future.

What do kids learn in BFP?

Numbers, Counting & Pre-Math Skills

This means your preschooler will start to learn the foundations of math! That generally  includes numbers from one to ten, counting up to ten or even twenty, and even correspond those numbers and objects.

Basic Shapes

Part of those pre-math skills will also include learning the basic shapes. Believe it or not, basic shapes are the foundations of later learning in Geometry!

Colors

Learning to name and identify colors will help your preschooler with their language development and creativity.

Alphabet

Learning the alphabet goes beyond just  singing the ABC song. In preschool, kids start to learn that letters correspond with sounds and go together to make words. These are all essential pre-reading skills!

Imaginative & Cooperative  Play

Most good preschool programs have a play-based approach  Imagina­tive and cooperative  play is an integral part of early childhood develop­ment. Through play your preschooler will develop her/his sense of self, build imagination, practice problem solving and learn social skills.

Fine Motor Skills

Motor skill development  (also referred to as physical development)  is an important part of early childhood development.  Large motor skills include learning how to control those bigger muscles in a child's body which allow young children to master such actions as walking,  running, throwing, jumping,  and walking  across a balance beam. Fine motor skills include the development of those small muscles in a child's body such as those in the hands and wrists.  Fine motor development and eye-hand coordination are the foundations for mastering such skills as writing, gluing, painting, cutting, sewing and weaving.  Fine motor skills are so important in preschool. It is during these early years that kids are fine tuning their pincer grip and finger strength.  In preschool, fine motor skills will often be practiced through arts and crafts and sensory play.

Gross Motor Skills

Preschoolers are developing their gross motor skills and coordination at this age, too.  A preschool program should include lots of active play and movement including outdoor activities and dancing.

Social Skills & Independence

For many kids preschool is their first time away from mom and dad for any significant time.  It's a great time for them to build confidence and indepen­dence. They will also learn and practice valuable social skills through the cooperative  play with their classmates and teachers.

Specialists

Art class, Pottery, Science, Dancing, Gymnastics, Ballet, Karate.

Daily schedule in BFP

A daily routine is very important in each classroom of the preschool. Whether you are at home or in the classroom, predictability  is something preschoolers need in their lives. A predictable routine helps children

- understand what  is coming next in their day

- understand what they will be expected to do during each part of their day

- be more responsible, independent and confident

- be more relaxed and cooperative.

Our daily routine is essentially as follows ...

- Arrival from 9:00 to 10:00.

- Outdoor  Play (weather permitting). Outdoor play is such an important part of the early learning experience.  I find that young children need time outdoors not only to get their wiggles out but to help them stay healthy emotionally as well as physically. There is so much young children can learn beyond the classroom walls and nature has the way of keeping young children naturally engaged in the learning process!

- Breakfast table open from  10:00 to 10:30.

- Morning Circle time - story time from  10:30 to 11:05. In my classroom, the main focus of circle time (or large group time) is all about building community. We use the time to do routine activities like the "helper of

the day" to games, music, movement, and storytelling. We are always using our large group gatherings as a way to help us get to know one another and learn to work with one another!

- Indoor Classroom Centers open from  11:05 to 12:05. Children generally choose from math, language, writing, reading center and additional planned activities in art and fine motor skills are at the tables.

- Clean up and Wash Hands from  12:05 to 12:20.

- Lunch time table open from  12:20 to 13:00.

Our daily routine is essentially as follows ...

- Specialist from  13:00 to 13:45.

- Outdoor Classroom Centers from  13:45 to 14:30. Children generally choose from sand table, water table, blocks, sensory window, play dough and additional planned activities in science and nature are at the tables.

- Quiet time (nap time) from  14:30 to 15:15.

- Snack time. Table open from 15:15 to 15:30.

- Large Group Activity from 15:30 to 16:00. Or small group activity - split­ting the threes and Pre-K into two separate groups depending  on the type of activity.

- Russian lesson from  16:00 to 16:30.

- Free play in some of our easy to clean-up centers until time to go home.

- Outdoor play (weather permitting) from  16:30 to 17:00.

- Dismissal at 17:00.

Field Trips in BFP

A Field Trip is an ideal way to involve your preschool children in the world around them, while at the same time provide a way for the local commu­nity to participate in the life of the Preschool.

Field trips are not only lots of fun but they can also be very valuable lear­ning experiences for young children. They can help build background knowledge and vocabulary that are important for success in school and life. Field Trips are arranged for each age group to provide an enjoyable mix of sightseeing, shopping and culture

Preschoolers visited various educational facilities. Science museums, for example, often have displays that children can touch to help them understand the material that is being covered. Zoos, nature centers and botanical gardens show kids animal and plant life up close, and often have areas where kids can touch displays, such as petting zoos.

A fire station, a police station

We met nice firefighters and learned lots about fire safety and fire trucks and some of the safety tips they shared with the kids. Children always learn about different professions, ideas and opportunities, when they travel outside their own neighborhoods.

Special Events (How to celebrate festivals  in BFP)

Throughout the school year, the Bright Futures Preschool offers many opportunities  not just for the students, but also for their parents and families to get involved and have some fun strengthening our commu­nity by giving families a greater connection to the school as well as with one another. Whether you attend events as a family, help to plan them, or work as a volunteer,  it's bound to be a good time and a great chance to meet some wonderful  people!

Open House for BFP parents

Inviting all 2017-2018 BFP families!  Come to our Playground and celebrate our Welcoming  Event. This is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with old friends and to welcome  new families into our BFP community.  Indoor space has been reserved so be sure to come rain or shine!

Halloween parade & Trick-or-Treating  in BFP

Our preschool children  usually have a costume parade, some crafts, and the spooky walk. We hold the party at a playground or ethnographic museum and the kids are just  happy getting to play while wearing their costumes! Both whole stuff and the children take part in our funny and educational activities. All of them work as one team, carve and decorate pumpkins with stickers,  paint various  pictures relative to the theme and do different crafts to create relevant environment  in the classrooms.

Thanksgiving  Feast in BFP

What is Thanksgiving  Day? Thanksgiving  Day is a day set aside each year where people in the United States and Canada give thanks to God for all the blessings they received during the year by feasting and prayer. We usually invite parents to have traditional thanksgiving dinner in the BFP, read stories and poems, sing songs and play thanksgiving  games. Dinner includes turkeys, cranberries, fish, dried fruits, clams, venison, plums and lobsters. Thanksgiving dinners also include the pumpkin pie. Each family from BFP presents their own country's traditional dish as well.

Christmas celebration  in BFP

Christmas for kids is one of the happiest times of the year! December is full of snowmen, sledding hills, joy  (day for fun), love and happiness, hot chocolate, ice skating, grabbing great gifts from local toy stores and even a few magical moments, like meeting Santa Claus. Tree lightning and other great stuff that will help make spirits bright. We would like for children to have most spectacular  Christmas.

How do we celebrate Christmas Day?

We love the holiday season, and particularly Christmas.  Children decorate a Christmas tree with ornaments, their own classrooms with handmade crafts, put up Christmas lights, decorate Christmas cookies and teachers teach children Christmas songs and get ready for the play.

Valentine's  Day

Valentine's  Day, also called Saint Valentine's  Day is an annual holiday celebrated on February, 14th, since the 19th century. It is a festival of romantic love and many people give cards, letters, flowers or presents to their spouse or a partner.

How do we celebrate Valentine's  Day?

Valentine's  Day is a wonderful opportunity to show appreciation for people we love. For many children, Valentine's  Day first becomes impor­tant in their kindergarten. Teachers encourage kids to make Valentine cards for their friends and decorate individual boxes to hold anticipated valentines.

Dr. Seuss Birthday Party in BFP (March, 2nd)

Theodor Seuss "Ted" Geisel was a German-American  author, political cartoonist, poet, animator,  book publisher and artist, best known for authoring more than 60 children's books under the pen name Doctor Seuss. We love celebrating  Dr. Seuss in our preschool!

Administration  sends home a note suggesting everybody to wear some­thing silly on this day. Our preschoolers love Dr. Seuss, and we plan to revisit some of these awesome activities to make discoveries through crafts, learning activities and some just  plain fun! We make Dr. Seuss a birthday cake and snacks. We also invite our preschoolers' parents and celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday with them.

Celebrating mother's day in BFP (March, 3rd)

Hosting a mother's day party in the preschool classroom can take quite a bit of advanced  preparation. Selecting a gift for the children to make, teaching the children a few songs to sing, and deciding on what you want to do during the special day all takes time. Now that we have hosted our mother's day party. I thought  I would share with you some of the steps we took to get ready for that important day.

Choosing a gift

Choosing a gift is always a hard decision for me to make. I want the gift to be something that the moms can have as a keepsake but still be made by the kids.

Making the gift

Gift making often takes several days. Consequently, we do have to start early so that we know each child will have plenty of time to prepare their gifts.

Practicing a simple presentation

We selected simple songs to represent them at our Mother's Day event. After singing the children had the job of serving their moms lemonade and offering  them some apples and muffins. The children also made simple flower arrangement to go in the center of each table.

Giving moms a gift

After all, the children gifted some presents and pictures to their moms.

St. Patrick's Day Celebration in BFP (March, 17th)

St. Patrick's Day is a global celebration of Irish culture on March, 17th. It particularly remembers St. Patrick, one of Ireland's patron saints, who ministered Christianity  in Ireland during the fifth century. The most com­mon St. Patrick's Day symbol is a shamrock. The shamrock  is the leaf of the clover plant and a symbol of the Holy Trinity. Many people who choose to wear the color green and the flag of the Republic of Ireland are often seen in St. Patrick's Day parades around the world.

St. Patrick's Day is a wonderful celebration for children. The day brings an opportunity to integrate culture and history into your classroom or home. Teachers introduce the story of St. Patrick with a simple book, the harp which  is national instrument of Ireland, Irish flag, the Shamrock, Gold coins. Kids do simple crafts, play games and practice in Irish dancing moves as well.

Easter Celebration  in BFP

Many Christians celebrate Easter Sunday.  Easter, which celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, is Christianity's most important holiday. In many cultures around the world, the egg is a symbol of a new life. No Easter party is completed without an Easter egg hunt. This is an activity that can be very enjoyable. An  Easter egg hunt is perfect for any age group.

Father's Day in BFP

Father's Day is a wonderful way to celebrate the important relationship between your children and their dads. Father's Day is traditionally celebrated on the first Sunday in June each year. On this day it's a lovely time to step back and reflect and mark the role father's  play in the lives of their children. Dads are special!

How many groups, how many teachers are in each group, what age kids attend in each group in BFP?

This academic year we have three groups:

Group 1: age 4-5 year olds - 16 kids  (3 teachers)

Group 2: age 3-4 year olds - 13 kids  (2 teachers)

Group 3: age 1,5-3 year olds - 5 kids (2 teachers)

Celebrating Graduation  Day in BFP

We are soon coming to the end of our current school year and in honor of the time we have spent together and what the future holds, we celebrate with a fun, simple, but very memorable preschool graduation.

There are many different thoughts about whether or not it is "appropriate" for preschoolers to participate in a graduation  program or ceremony.  I can't answer that for you because I think it all depends on the approach you take and if your approach is a meaningful and enriching experience for your students and their parents. While you consider what you believe is in the best interest of your students and parents, I thought  I would share what our graduation  day was like last year and talk a little bit about why we celebrate this day together.

Why we celebrate?

I have a small preschool and all of my students are with me from the day they enter the program until the day they leave. During their time with me, my students grow and learn so much that it is simply amazing. I don't want the last day of their time with me just to come and go as if it wasn't significant.  I want my students and their parents to know that their time in preschool was precious and that I valued every second of it.

I want to offer my students and parents the chance to celebrate the closing of their teaching and educational  preschool years and the begin­ning of new experiences to come. Our graduates are moving on to new discoveries and new accomplishments  but they take many discoveries and accomplishments with them that we shared together and this is all worth celebrating.

On the day of graduation,  all the children sing a couple of songs first and then our graduates sing a song on their own plus to demonstrate a few things they have learned throughout the school year. And then  I call up each child to the stage. Each of our future graduates gets a certificate for completing a year in preschool. And each of our graduates gets his/her diploma for completing their preschool experience. And once all the children have received their diplomas or certificates, we end our celebra­tion with fireworks and cakes.

Summer School in BFP

Our exciting summer camp program provides summer fun for each age group. Nature walks, sports, music, cooking, water play, science, drama and art activities are planned around age-appropriate weekly themes. Recognizing that learning shouldn't stop during the summer, our teachers plan age appropriate enrichment  activities throughout the summer. Swimming is available as well. Campers spend lots of time playing out­ doors at the nearby park playground as well as the school's playing area

Holidays in BFP

      We only have holidays twice a year

•  Christmas  holiday - for two weeks

•  Easter holiday - for a week

On other public holidays our preschool is open