| Time Frame | Activity | Purpose & Curriculum Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM | Wrap Around | Easing into the day with quiet activities. |
| 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM | Breakfast & Self-Help Skills | Fosters independence and promotes nutrition. |
| 8:45 AM - 9:10 AM | Morning Free Play | Promotes socialization, decision-making, and imaginative play before structured time. |
| 9:10 AM - 9:20 AM | Morning Meeting (Circle Time) | Large group time promoting cognitive skills, language, and social-emotional skills. |
| 9:20 AM - 9:30 AM | Transition/Prep for Small Group | Preparing materials and moving to differentiated learning centers. |
| 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM | Small Group Instruction | Teachers conduct targeted activities tailored to small groups' developmental needs (e.g., pre-writing, science). |
| 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Planning/Work Time | (1 Hour) Core learning block where children engage in chosen activities (Interest Areas). Creative Curriculum and HighScope's "Plan-Do-Review" are implemented. |
| 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM | Recall Time & Read Aloud | Children reflect on their morning learning and transition to lunch with a calming story. |
| 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM | Lunch & Bathroom Routine | Practicing nutrition, manners, and personal care. |
| 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM | Rest Time / Quiet Activities | Time for quiet rest or focused quiet activities. |
| 1:15 PM - 1:45 PM | Afternoon Snack | Social interaction and practicing self-help skills immediately following rest time. |
| 1:45 PM - 2:15 PM | Outdoor/Gross Motor Play | Time dedicated to developing gross motor skills, coordination, and social interaction, positioned before dismissal. |
| 2:15 PM - 2:45 PM | Story Time / General Activity | A calm, final activity like reading or quiet center before dismissal begins at 2:45 PM. |
| 2:45 PM - 6:00 PM | Extended Day / Wrap-Around Care | Supplemental learning and structured free play for children remaining after dismissal. |
Creative Curriculum
The Creative Curriculum is a flexible, research-based framework that focuses on project-based learning. It recognizes that children learn best by doing, exploring, and engaging in activities they choose themselves.
- Focus: Learning Through Play. Teachers set up rich learning environments (interest areas) where your child explores, solves problems, and develops language, social skills, and math concepts at their own pace.
- Affiliation: This curriculum follows the guidelines and standards set by the Newark Board of Education.
Sample Schedule
| Time Slot (Approximate) | Activity | Purpose / Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 – 8:00 AM | WRAP-AROUND: Early Arrival, Free Play & Self-selected activities, individualized breakfast routines. | Breakfast |
| 8:00 – 8:40 AM | Morning Center Time & Routines | Core arrival, transition activities, “Question of the Day” engagement. |
| 8:40 – 9:00 AM | Large Group Meeting | Welcome, songs, calendar, introduction to the day’s “Study.” |
| 9:00 – 10:20 AM | Choice Time / Interest Areas | Extended time for child-initiated play and investigation. |
| 10:20 – 10:40 AM | Clean-up, Handwashing, & Snack | Transitions and healthy habits. |
| 10:40 – 11:00 AM | Small Group Time | Teacher-led, focused skill activities (literacy/math). |
| 11:00 – 11:40 AM | Outdoor Time / Gross Motor | Physical activity and fresh air. |
| 11:40 – 12:20 PM | Lunch & Routines | Self-help skills and conversation. |
| 12:20 – 12:40 PM | Read-Aloud | Literacy, vocabulary, and comprehension. |
| 12:40 – 2:10 PM | Rest / Quiet Time | Napping or quiet, independent activities. |
| 2:10 – 2:30 PM | Afternoon Group Meeting | Follow-up, music/movement, preparing for dismissal. |
| 2:30 – 2:55 PM | Final Choice Time & Dismissal Prep | Short, focused play or activity while preparing bags for departure. |
| 2:55 PM | School Day Ends for Non-Wrap-Around Students | |
| 3:00 – 3:30 PM | WRAP-AROUND: Transition, Snack & Afternoon Routine | Transitioning to the wrap-around group, handwashing, and a healthy afternoon snack. |
| 3:30 – 4:30 PM | Recreational / Enrichment Choice Time | Relaxed choice time in centers, often including outdoor play or special interest areas like art, building, or simple science experiments. |
| 4:30 – 5:00 PM | Structured Activity / Project Extension | A planned, low-key activity, game, or extension of the day’s “Study” that is fun and engaging, but less academic. |
| 5:00 – 6:00 PM | Late Afternoon Choice & Quiet Dismissal | Quieter activities (books, puzzles, drawing, table games) as children are picked up by their families. |
| 6:00 PM | Wrap-Around Program Closes |
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