PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN INFORMATION NIGHT PLANNED AT LEARNING CIRCLE PRESCHOOL ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9 AT 7:30 P.M.

Parents looking for transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or preschool options next year are invited to attend an Information Night at Learning Circle Preschool, 3 Blue Hill River Road, Canton, on the evening of Wednesday December 9 from 7:30-9 p.m.

At this meeting, prospective and current parents will have the opportunity to review developmentally appropriate preschool and kindergarten curriculum, view a slide presentation of a typical day at school and join in a discussion about ways the school can meet their family’s and children’s needs. Katrina Selawsky, Director of the Learning Circle Preschool, will also answer questions about quality preschool experiences, kindergarten “readiness”, and the impact of class size, emotional and social development, and teacher expectations on a child’s successful school experience.

The Learning Circle’s kindergarten class accepts older pre-k children who are not yet eligible for a public school kindergarten but who may benefit developmentally from a transitional class, as well as children who will make the transition to first grade in the following year. It is taught by Barbara Lapal, a certified, nurturing teacher who has taught in both public and private school settings at the pre-k and kindergarten level, and Anne Regnier, an experienced preschool and primary grade teacher, reading specialist and responsive classroom consulting teacher. The program, accredited by NAEYC and following Massachusetts’s curriculum guidelines, is highly individualized. The full kindergarten schedule is 8:30-2:45 four days per week with the half day on Friday, with the flexibility to extend the day as early as 7:30 and as late as 4:30 every day, or to make adjustments based on family need.

In addition to its kindergarten program, Learning Circle Preschool offers morning programs with two, three, or five-day options, afternoon enrichment programs, and extended day options that run until 4:30 pm. Set at the foot of the Great Blue Hill, the facility houses three spacious classrooms and features a highly individualized, creative, and engaging curriculum that follows best practice guidelines developed by Massachusetts and the National Association of Educators of Young Children.
Learning Circle uses a project approach in curriculum development that is inspired by schools that developed in Reggio Emilia, Italy. This exemplary model of early childhood education has at its core a deep belief in the competence and creativity of young children. What makes these programs so special is:

• An emergent curriculum model developed from observations of the children’s play
• A focus on projects and collaborative learning
• An integrated approach to learning using the graphic arts as tools for both cognitive and social development
• Carefully organized and aesthetically pleasing classrooms and common spaces
• An understanding that the school environment can teach, and sets a tone for a comfortable and engaging place for learning.

The children’s work is extensively documented using photographs, the children’s own drawings, dictations from the children, and videos of classroom projects in action. This documentation helps teachers develop curriculum meaningful to the children, and helps children remember and share their experiences together. Documentation also gives family members a concrete picture of each child’s day at school.

Please call the Director, Katrina Selawsky at 781-828-4800 for more information or to arrange a tour of the facility. Parents may also contact the school by email (info@learningcirclepreschool.org) or visit the school’s website at www.learningcirclepreschool.org.