Preschool
Acorns Class Sprouts Class Saplings Class
Monday, Wednesday Tuesday, Thursday mon, Wed, Fri
9:15 AM – 11:15 aM 9 AM – 12 pM 9 am - 12 Pm
Age 2 by September 1 Age 3 by September 1 Age 4 by September 1
Acorns Class, Parent and Me Toddler Class
New for ’25-26 School Year!
CHKP is introducing a new parent and me class where our youngest students share their first school experience with a parent, Monday and Wednesday mornings, in our Acorns Toddler Class. Toddlers and their parents meet and play with other toddlers and parents under the support and guidance of our experienced and professional teacher who has a wealth of knowledge and passion for helping toddlers and parents grow stronger. The Acorn’s toddler experience includes: Art, Playdough, Sensory Play, Block Play, Sand Play, Music & Movement, Small & Large Motor Activities, Climbing, Reading in our Library Corner, Science exploration, and more!
Preschool Philosophy
We know that children learn best at this age by doing. They are explorers actively interested in learning about the world around them and constructing new understanding through experimentation and play. We support this by providing classrooms with engaging learning environments. These include: dramatic play, writing workshop, art studio, painting easels, sensory tables, woodworking, science inquiry, block building, loft, light zone, reading nook, obstacle course, cooking center, outdoor playground, and garden. Equipment and materials are flexible and open ended to encourage individual choice and critical thinking. We strive to encourage life-long wonder!
In our classrooms, children are invited to play games, tell stories, create plays, move to music, sing songs and fingerplays, explore new art mediums, manipulate puppets, make and eat a variety of foods, explore different tools, explore and measure different textures, read, write and share books, engineer constructions with large and small blocks, and on and on . . .
The preschool years are also a time of tremendous social growth; therefore, much attention is paid to the development of positive social skills. Many activities are designed to encourage social interactions and cooperative play. Caring adults are nearby to help children learn how to get a turn or how to resolve conflicts.
The preschool classes also participate in a variety of field trips throughout the year.
"Children learn to play together by playing together. They learn how to take turns by taking turns, how to share, by sharing, how to resolve conflicts that come up by resolving conflicts that come up. In order to learn how to do these things, children need to experience them firsthand. They need to do these things."
— Peter Campbell, "The Scripted Prescription, A Cure for Childhood," Rethinking Early Childhood Education
Acorns Schedule
9:15 AM — Arrival & Greeting Time
Indoor classroom exploration
9:30 AM — Outdoor Classroom opens
Indoor & Outdoor exploration
10:00 AM — “Teapot Time” musical group activity is offered
Indoor & Outdoor exploration continues
11:05 AM — Closing Group Time
(Songs, stories, fingerplays, felt stories, games, books, etc)
12:00 PM — Goodbye song and Dismissal
Available parents help with clean up
Sprouts Schedule
8:40 AM — Arrival of Parent Teachers
9:00 AM — Children Arrive
9:30 AM — Class Meeting
9:40 AM — Exploration in Studio & Block Room 11:00 AM — Cleanup
11:10 AM — Group Time
11:20 AM — Outside Time (for all rain or shine)
12:00 PM — Children are picked up
*Group times include read-alouds, songs, fingerplays, discussions and problem solving.
Saplings Schedule
8:40 AM — Arrival of Parent Teachers
9:00 AM — Children Arrive
9:30 AM — Class Meeting
9:40 AM — Exploration in Studio & Block Room 11:00 AM — Cleanup
11:10 AM — Group Time
11:20 AM — Outside Time (for all rain or shine)
12:00 PM — Children are picked up
*Group times include read-alouds, songs, fingerplays, discussions and problem solving.