GOALS OF CURRICULUM
Our goal is to support children as they grow into independent, self-confident learners. Their "love of learning" is not important just for preschool, but for a lifetime. Our curriculum helps children build good habits and attitudes, especially a positive sense of themselves. The goals we have for children in our program are as follows:
1. Develop initiative in making choices and decisions about what to do and how to do it, using time and energy effectively.
2. Develop self-discipline and the ability to identify, pursue, and complete self-chosen goals and tasks with originality and responsibility.
3. Develop the ability to work with other children and adults in group planning, cooperative efforts, and with shared leadership.
4. Develop knowledge of the physical world.
5. Develop comfort with physical movement.
6. Develop the ability to express thoughts, ideas and feelings; to speak about, dramatize, and represent experiences in order to communicate them to others.
7. Develop the ability to comprehend others' spoken, written, dramatic, and graphic representations.
8. Develop the ability to apply his or her reasoning abilities to a wide range of situations, using a variety of materials.
9. Develop creativity, initiative, spirit of inquiry, and openness to knowledge and other people's viewpoints.
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DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICES
This is a research-based approach that recognizes that children learn all of the time, and that learning occurs through physical, emotional, social and cognitive experiences which are active and concrete. Developmentally appropriate practices consider the age norms and the individual differences of children. This means that although the teacher plans classroom activities based on his/her knowledge of what an age group is like, activities and materials are also provided in light of the individual abilities and interests of each child.
In a developmentally appropriate classroom, you will see---
--activities based on the teacher's recognition of each child's interests and development.
--a classroom that is full of activity, as children interact with each other and with adults, and with a wide variety of materials selected by the teacher to help guide and stimulate problem-solving. The classroom is not a place where children are expected to remain silent or in their places.
--traditional subjects such as literacy and mathematics integrated into the activities and curriculum. They are not taught as isolated subjects.

We know that young children have boundless energy and curiosity. A developmentally appropriate program taps this natural endowment that children bring to school. Teachers using these practices enable young children to acquire what is known as "desirable dispositions" toward learning. These include curiosity, creativity, resourcefulness, independence, initiative, and responsibility. Such dispositions are the critical foundation for later learning.
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ENVIRONMENT
Children learn from whatever environment they are in. Therefore, the classroom and outdoor areas are an important part of our early childhood curriculum. The arrangement of our classroom reflects the belief that children learn best in a stimulating but ordered environment in which they can make choices and act upon them. The room is divided into well-defined work areas, and the materials in each area are logically organized. This enables the children to act independently with as much control over the classroom environment as possible.
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DAILY SCHEDULE
The daily schedule supports consistent goals for children. This helps children feel secure and independent, and able to move from one activity to another with ease and confidence. It varies only when children have advance notification that things will be different. This adherence to routine gives children the control of their time necessary to develop a sense of responsibility and to enjoy the opportunity to be independent.

Our daily schedule is made up of the following parts:

Greeting Time
This is the time when children come into the classroom at the beginning of the day. Adults welcome students and help them choose from a small selection of activities which enable them to talk with each other, share "news," and generally settle into the comfort of the environment.

Planning Time
Planning time gives children a consistent and structured opportunity to express their ideas to adults and to see themselves as individuals who can make and act on decisions. Children discuss what they plan to do during work time with classroom adults. This helps children form mental images of their ideas, formulate plans of action, and feel confident about their decisions.

Work Time
Work time is the DO part of the daily cycle. It is the longest activity period of the day. Children engage in activities in work areas of our large exploratorium or in work areas within their classroom. Since children have formulated their plan for this time, adults do not lead work time activities. The teacher's role during this time is to first observe how children gather information, interact with others and solve problems; and second to enter into the children's activities to encourage, extend, and setup problem solving situations.

Cleanup Time
Children are expected to return materials to their proper storage places. Restoring order to the room gives children the opportunity to learn and use many basic skills including taking responsibility for one's environment and developing a sense of ownership.

Recall Time
During this time children have an opportunity to reflect back on their work-time activities. By planning an activity, carrying it out, and then reflecting back on what they have done, they develop a sense of control over what happens to them. They can see the relationship between their plans and their activities and they develop more awareness of their own ideas and the effects of their own action. Children are learning a structure for their thinking that allows them to evaluate and apply what they have learned--valuable for both academic learning and "real-life" successes.

Small-Group Time
Teachers present planned activities designed from key learning experiences, children's backgrounds and interest, and age-appropriate projects. Small-group times are geared to the children's needs, abilities, and interests and do not follow a carefully prescribed sequence of lessons. While children are activity involved in exploring and using materials, making choices and solving problems, the adult extends children's ideas and actions by asking open-ended questions and by setting up additional problem-solving situations.

Circle Time
This is the time for children to gather together with the adults to play games, sing songs, do finger plays and basic movement exercises, play musical instruments or reenact stories or events. Circle time allows each child to participate in a large group and share the ideas of others.
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KEY EXPERIENCES
"Key Experiences" is our preschool learning objectives. It is published by the High/Scope Foundation and covers the areas of social, cognitive and physical development of preschool children. The key experiences are organized into domains of creative representation, language and literacy, social relations and initiative, movement, music, classification, seriation, number, space and time.
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ROLE OF THE TEACHER
How children learn affects how we teach. Since children learn actively through exploring, it is best if we can enable them in their exploration. Our role is to support children by clearing the path of obstacles and offering encouragement and guidance rather than surging to the forefront to lead the way. Our teachers prepare the environment based on recognized developmental norms. They observe children to assess their individual interests and needs so that they can prepare the foundation for each step along the school year.

BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE
Before-school care is available beginning at 7:00 am on school days.
After-school care is available until 6:00 pm on school days.
Parents must make reservations for children to participate in these programs. Space is limited based on our adult-to-child ratio. We try to accommodate all children whenever possible. There are hourly charges for before and after-school care and families can be billed monthly or prepay to receive a discount. Children bring their own lunch.
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HOW TO ENROLL YOUR CHILD

• Completed Basic Application accompanied by tuition deposit.
• Copy of your child's birth certificate.
• Enrollment record. (This form includes all emergency telephone numbers, people allowed to pick up your child, any problems or concerns the school should know regarding your child.)
• Authorization for Emergency Medical Treatment. (This form must be notarized. It includes all medical alert information as well as the preferred physician and hospital.)
• FRS required forms. (These require your signature attesting that you have read and understand the policies.)
  • Nutrition Agreement
  • CDS Discipline Policy
    
  • Know Your Child's Day Care (state published brochure)
• HRS Student Health Record. (This is obtained from your physician and states that all immunizations and required physical exams are up-to-date.)

Please call or write for an appointment:
Mrs. Ellen Nafe, Principal
Carrollwood Day School
12606 Casey Road
Tampa, Florida 33618
813-963-2388