Typical Day
Our Early Years Section welcomes children from 2 to 4 years old.
We dropped in on an Early Years Classroom to follow one student for a day. These pictures of our students in class, coupled with the text explanation from our highly-qualified teachers, gives you an idea of the average day of a student in our Early Years Program.
If you wish to read more about our curriculum for Early Years, there are links at the bottom of the page.
Children are welcomed at the door by their teacher. As they head to their classroom, the children hang up the coats and bags and if they have a boxed lunch, they drop it off on the way.
Circle Time : At the start of the session, circle time allows the teacher to introduce a topic in fun and innovative ways. Stories and songs are often a central part of circle time and are always a highlight for the children.
Child Initiated Learning : Children are allowed to freely move between distinct areas such as fine and gross motor skills, imaginary play and a book corner. During this time, we observe and interact with the children, modelling and providing ways to develop further.
Teacher-led activities: At the same time, the children work with the teacher on a one-on-one or small group basis linked to the lesson of the day. This allows essential individualized contact time with the teacher who can observe and assess the children’s needs, encouraging them to meet their next steps.
Snack Time: Children eat their snack together, allowing them to regroup and exchange. Often, group snacks are organized to allow the children the responsibility of preparing, sharing, and cleaning up a meal together.
Breaktime: The Nursery and Pre-K children enjoy a short 20 minute morning break where they can play amongst themselves in the outdoor school playground.
Phonics: Once a week the children in Pre-K are taught the sounds of letters, a key foundational skill for reading, via Jolly Phonics. This is a highly regarded strategy for teaching children to read quickly and skilfully.
Child-Led Learning and Teacher-Led Activities: We come back to class and children continue their independent work in various work stations, while the teacher works one-on-one with children around the same theme.
Our unit this month is based on space, and our relationship to our planet. Children are participating in imaginary play as a memorable way of engaging with the topic.
Circle Time: We finish our morning session by way of discussion, story, games, action songs and rhymes. The teaching staff plan a wide range of activities, exposing the children to new ideas and concepts as well as an awareness of festivals and traditions from around the world.
Lunch : Children share lunch time in our cafeteria space in groups of three or four. A lunch can be provided by the school or a lunch box can be brought from home, please see our fees page for more details. Lunches brought from home have the option to be reheated for the children by our lunchroom attendants.
Recess: A treasured part of the day for many students, they take a moment to play freely in our outdoor courtyard space. If it is raining, they will play in their classroom with toys available or some age-appropriate board games that we bring in on these days.
Naptime : After a short story, the Nursery class children nap in a specially designated nap room from 12:45pm to 2:30pm. If children want to sleep later, we let them sleep until 3pm.
The photo on the right depicts our Pre-K class enjoying a quiet time in their classroom from 12h30 to 1pm.
Circle TIme : Children switch rooms and move into the alternate language. If they were in English in the morning, they will be in French in the afternoon.
Nursery children will join the alternate language class when they wake up from a nap. To ensure they have adequate time in both English and French, the begin some days in English and some days in French. Then finish the day in the other language room.
Child-Led Workstation + Teacher-Led One-on-One Activities
Once per Week Activity : The children benefit from a rotating afternoon activity by an experienced professional. These include: sports, performing arts, Chinese and music. These are included in our tuition at no additional cost. Sports are conducted in French.
Circle Time + Story Time :
Over the year, story time offers the children a wide range of good quality, developmentally appropriate children’s literature. This is a wonderful opportunity to promote discussion, develop language skills and increase confidence.
Prepare for Leaving. Children put on their shoes and coats. They collect their artwork of the day, and they are called individually and released to their parents or caretakers. This is an important moment to have a quick conversation, if necessary, or just to reassure parents that the child had a good day.
The power of reading forms the backbone of our english curriculum in Early Years and Primary.
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