A Day At Papermill Creek

Children arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 am. Morning routine includes: handwashing, emotional check-in, and sign-in. Everyone is invited to the outdoor classroom to explore the activities offered for the day. Individual quiet activities are offered indoors for children that need extra time to settle in each morning.

Homecooked breakfast is offered to children starting at 9 am. Teacher calls for breakfast and children take turns coming in for breakfast (no more than six children at the time) Once inside, children wash their hands and find a place at the table. After breakfast, the children clean their place, wash their hands and head out to the Outdoor Classroom.

Children are welcomed and encourage to explore the various interest areas available to them for the day either indoors or outdoors.

Everyone comes together for developmentally-appropriate music and movement activities led by the teachers.

Children come together in small groups to participate in developmentally-appropriate activities.

Children independently participate in the intentionally-designed interest areas throughout the classrooms.

Children help set the table for lunch while the teacher finishes cooking their homecooked meal. Children are called for lunch, and each child washes their hands as they come in. They find their placemat and sit for lunch. Children thank the teacher who cooked their meal and all come together to sing the “Gracias” song prior to start eating their meal. After lunch, children clean up after themselves, wash hands and head to the outdoor classroom.

After lunch, children return to the Outdoor Classroom to continue where they might have left off before lunch. Children come together for Goodbye Circle and story time prior to the 1:30 dismissal each day.

All children participate in Rest/Quiet time. Each child has their own clearly-labeled sleeping cot and bedding. While soft music is playing, children begin to relax in a cozy environment. Quiet time activities are available to non-sleeping children.

As children are done with Quiet/Rest time, they are invited to the Outdoor Classroom for afternoon snack and 3 pm dismissal.

Children spend the last hours of the program exploring and actively engaging in independent, play-based learning activities until pick-up time.