About Our School…
The Williams School has a warm, inviting and nurturing atmosphere that is conducive to learning. Our buildings are clean and secure. Any unlocked doors are monitored. Toys and play equipment are age appropriate and in good condition. There are daily opportunities for large muscle exercise and fresh air. Also, as a Christian school, we strive for an atmosphere that assures each child that he or she are loved as a precious child of God.
A Qualified, Caring Staff
In addition to the CPR/First Aid training and 15 hours of training required by the state for licensed child care facilities, a quality preschool should routinely offer learning opportunities for its staff. Our staff have backgrounds in early childhood development or related fields. Our teachers either have a teaching degree or solid teaching experience. Likewise our caregivers are mostly moms/college students working towards an education degree.
Curriculum
Curriculum and programs are crucial. A good preschool will offer the academic (letters, numbers, shapes) while stimulating creativity and problem solving. Play is an important part of learning. Schools should offer a variety of age appropriate toys and materials. These are the hands on tools for learning. At Williams School, we use a state adopted curriculum called DLM published by McGraw- Hill as a starting point. Teachers supplement the DLM materials to enrich and keep the lessons fresh. Weekly lesson planning sessions encourage teachers to share materials and ideas. Early literacy is a major focus for us. Introducing and strengthening phonetic concepts lay the foundation for every area of study.
Special Events
Another way we enhance our program is by having monthly special events. We kick off the school year with Western Day, followed by trick or treating, the Thanksgiving Feast and Christmas program. In January we celebrate a Snow Day February includes valentine parties and a field trip for the four-year olds to Cornerstone. In March we will sharpen our investigative skills during the Science Fair. An Easter Egg Hunt will occur in April followed by Mother’s Day Tea and graduation ceremonies for the fours. Then it is time for the end of the year party in June.
Arts Smart
As an ArtsSmart campus, we will host three ArtsSmart events this year. These events give your children an opportunity to see different types of arts, ask questions and interact with the artists.
Our Church
Because we are part of a church family that shares its talents, we have weekly chapel in addition to music classes and library story time for the three and four-year-olds. The threes and four-year-olds use computers in their classrooms. The four-year-olds also have a weekly Spanish class.
Transition
Our four-year-old’s teachers work with kindergarten teachers at local elementary schools to provide a smooth, well-prepared transition from preschool to kindergarten.
Summer
The summer session is similar to our traditional school year program; but, has more of a camp atmosphere. Each week has a different thematic focus such as transportation, around the world and circus.
Students and Teachers
Although we have a wide variety of programs and activities, the primary focus of any quality preschool has to be the individual child. It is for this reason that we exist at all. That’s why it’s important that teachers work with each child individually, in small groups and with the whole group over the course of the day. That is one reason why we keep our student/teacher ratio below what is required by minimum standards. We also adhere to philosophy of “safe sanctuary” which schedules two adults with any group of children.
Every preschool experience should offer happy memories with seeds of knowledge, independence and self esteem planted firmly. This is our wish for every child.
Paula Hawkins
Director of the Williams School
