Below is a brief description of the age-specific activities we offer at the Maple Street School. Children develop skills and interests at different times throughout the school year. As a staff, we look at the whole child and seek to support each child’s individual educational experience.

Twos

We keep the twos projects simple and fun. In art, they finger paint, glue, make prints and experiment with many different kinds of materials. Two-year-olds are tactile and like to feel glue and crush play dough. They also like to use their bodies, so we offer many opportunities for the twos to climb, dance and run. We encourage their curiosity and nurture their imaginations. Throughout the day, the twos are encouraged to use their words and ask for what they need. They also practice self-help skills such as putting on their own coats, using the toilet, and washing their hands.

A supportive environment is at the heart of the school, and it is our objective to help the twos feel safe and fully enjoy their first school experience.

Threes

The threes are involved in more complex projects. One example is a study of the neighborhood. Children take a walk, observe what they see, and return to school to recreate the neighborhood in a group collage. They also create their own picture book and create their own neighborhood people out of cardboard. We encourage children to reflect on themselves and their families. The threes might create life-size self-portraits using a variety of materials and are encouraged to share descriptions, stories and pictures of their family.

The threes are usually interested in looking more closely at the world around them. We foster their curiosity by offering many ways to explore in and out of the classroom. Throughout the year, the threes are involved in storytelling, drama, cooking and planting.

Fours

Four-year-olds are eager to understand concepts, interact verbally with their peers and their teachers and have fun learning. The Maple Street School is a language-rich environment. The fours love to share stories and they often create characters and practice role-playing. Teachers help students make their own books at this age. Children dictate their words to the teacher for a number of projects. The fours look closely at the world around them and enjoy initiating learning activities. In the past, students have chosen to study bugs, trees, animals, food, puppets, and many more subjects. It is our pleasure to help facilitate and enhance the subjects that interest the students.

We challenge children throughout the day to prepare them for their kindergarten days ahead. Our program goal is for children to develop a love of learning, have fun, make friends, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Multi-age Groups

Maple Street firmly believes that there are benefits of working together with children of many ages. Multi-age groups foster children’s learning at their own pace, support a nurturing classroom, provide an environment that embraces diversity, promote leadership and create a community of learners. Multi-age groups also create an atmosphere of cooperation that is central to Maple Street’s philosophy.

Some classes combine 3- and 4-year-olds, while other classes have times during the day where twos, threes, and fours collaborate. Within multi-age groups, we strive to meet each individual’s developmental needs, interests and challenges.

Additionally, our afterschool program is designed as a multi-age program.