Geneva Day School endeavors to individualize the education of every child, through the freedom and flexibility of activity time, organized circle activities, emerging curriculum, and the "teachable moment". A large, well-equipped playground and library support this goal. We view the social and emotional growth of children as an integral and necessary step in their preparation for future scholastic success. Activities, themes, and discussions will develop social skills as we work to achieve our goals of encouraging growth of the whole child. All this takes place in a warm, supportive, challenging, stimulating and exciting environment, where music, movement and art experiences are introduced to enrich each child's classroom experience. Teacher observations play a key role in recording the progress and performance of each child.

Our teaching staff works with children because they respect and enjoy them. All of the teachers have as minimum a four year college degree and experience and training in early childhood education. The assistants have, as a minimum, taken courses in child development, classroom methods, and curriculum. Some of our assistants have college and graduate degrees. Staff members are required to take continuing education courses in early childhood education. The school offers all staff members an education reimbursement benefit. Training in early childhood education is also provided during staff meetings and in-service days. The staff is also trained in pediatric CPR and First Aid.

The following is a brief review of the various programs offered at the Geneva Day School. This review has been prepared as an additional tool in your school evaluation process. It is an opportunity to take a glimpse into our classes. Each child and each family is unique and must consider many issues when choosing a school. Certainly the times of classes and the cost are two important factors. Other factors to consider:

l The teacher student ratios.

l A curriculum that allows children to explore and experiment safely.

l An envirionment that allows children to work at his or her own pace, and sets age appropriate goals.

l The relationships created between staff and children, and staff and parents.

This class provides the opportunity for two-year-old children to attend class either two or three days a week. The atmosphere will provide a loving, nurturing, and secure learning environment for each child. The goals of this program are to promote independence and self esteem, develop socialization skills, ignite a love for learning, enrich language and pre-math skills, as well as refine both fine and gross motor skills.

The class begins with a free play period, during which time children are encouraged to participate in an art project and a cognitive learning project with the teacher or one of the teaching assistants. The learning activity presented by the teacher is designed to allow each child the ability to accomplish a task at the appropriate developmental level. After free play, the children regroup in a circle, where a story, game, or movement activity is presented to reinforce the topic of the day. The children eat a nutritious snack, join together for another circle, and then play outside until dismissal time.

The aim is to have fun and learn through play. It is through active play and hands-on experience that children learn and grow. We foster independence and encourage communication and social skills. At the same time, we encourage the young child's ability to make decisions. We provide a variety of individual as well as small and large group activities, with a wide range of age-appropriate materials, which the children can actively explore and manipulate. Consistent music, movement and art activities enhance the child's school experience. This class provides a warm and nurturing environment for the young child's first experience with school.

All activities are tailored to the developmental level of two-year-old children. Learning should be fun, and it is experienced by the children through a variety of activities and learning centers that appeal to the various physical senses. It is through these senses that children discover the wonders of the world around them. Art, music and movement are all age-appropriate and facilitate children's understanding of the world around them.

Age:  Must be two to begin school
Ratio: 3:12

Days: 

Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings
Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons
Tuesday and Thursday mornings
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons

As with all of our programs, the classroom staff will provide a loving, nurturing, and secure learning environment. The goals of this program are to promote socialization skills and independence, enrich language and pre-math skills, develop a thirst for learning and discovery, and enhance fine and gross motor skills.

This class provides children with many opportunities to begin to experience and explore a life of their own at school. The schedule promotes continuity both in program routine and social interaction. The classroom environment facilitates socialization and strong feelings of "belonging" to a group outside of family. It helps the child learn to play, share, take turns and negotiate relationships within the same small group of peers over time. Both independent and cooperative activities are fostered within this structured setting.

Learning takes place through a hands-on approach. Projects and activities appeal to the developmental level of the children. The manipulatives are visually attractive, enticing the children to touch, taste, and smell, as appropriate. Three-Year-Olds take an active interest in their environment and explore topics in depth. They consistently enjoy opportunities to experience music, movement and art.

The class begins with a period of free play, where children are encouraged to participate in an art project or a cognitive learning project with the teacher or teaching assistant that is presented either one-on-one or in small groups. After free play, the children gather in a circle where the topic of the day is discussed and learning is reinforced with a game, movement activity, or story. After circle, the children eat a nutritious snack, regroup into a second circle, and then play outside until dismissal time.

As with all classes, the teacher will focus on a variety of topics and events ranging from transportation and community helpers to seasonal and holiday activities. In addition, the teacher is able to include themes as they spontaneously emerge from the children's play. For example, if a group of children are building a spaceship, the teacher may include a conversation about the stars and planets. Curriculum themes are enhanced through field trips, special programs, and visiting "experts" (i.e. family members). Music and art experiences are designed to enrich each child's class experience.

The goal of this program is to provide a rich variety of developmentally appropriate activities, which integrate all areas; cognitive, social, emotional, and physical, within the confines of a stimulating, nurturing, and cozy, fun atmosphere.

Age:  Must be three by September 1
Ratio: 3:18

Days: 

Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings
Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons

The open classroom is a unique and wonderful experience. Each child is assigned to one of two "home-rooms", with each "home-room" class consisting of a teacher and two teaching assistants. It is within this "home-room" group that children will enjoy the routine of circle time.

After a brief circle time, where class activities are discussed, the children are assigned (by means of a colored tag necklace) to one of eight learning centers (math, language arts, science/social science, library/ computers, art, dramatic play, blocks and gross motor skills). The children quickly learn to associate the color of their tags with the appropriate centers.

Once in the centers, the children participate in learning activities that promote language, science, math, pre-writing, and pre-reading skills. The center time also helps develop independence and age-appropriate social skills. In the assigned center, a teacher or teaching assistant is available to work with children as they explore the manipulatives that have been made available. These are designed to allow each child to utilize it in such a way as to personalize the learning experience. For example, one child may take a set of colored blocks and make a simple tower disregarding the colors. Another child may take the same blocks and begin to make a pattern alternating the colors. The tool is the same, but the outcome is one that is developmentally- appropriate for each child. As a rule, the children direct the experience, with the teacher acknowledging and working with each child individually or in small groups. Computers, field trips, special programs, art, music and movement are used to supplement learning opportunities in the classroom.

After an appropriate period of time, the children are provided the opportunity to choose which center they wish to visit. They engage in activities set out in the center. To end the day, the children gather in a final circle, enjoy snack, and visit the playground before being dismissed.

The sense of independence, the problem-solving and the decision-making abilities the child achieves from experiencing the open class is one that builds a firm foundation for future learning and growth.

Age:  Must be three by September 1
Ratio: 3:18

Days: 

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday afternoons

The Pre - Kindergarten is for four-year-olds and young five-year-olds that will be attending kindergarten the following year. This program is well suited to allow children time in activities which facilitate development of social skills; large and small motor skills; language, vocabulary, math, science, pre-writing, and pre-reading skills.

The day begins and ends with a circle time. The curriculum topic introduced at the first circle will outline the learning centers of the day. Circle activities may include a story, discussion, hands-on project, or movement activity that is relevant to the topic under examination. At the conclusion of the circle, the children will move in small groups to the various learning centers set up for the day. Learning centers for math, language arts, science/ social science, pre-reading, pre-writing, dramatic play, blocks, gross and fine motor skills are available for the children as they go to enjoy the various activities in each area. All learning centers are promoted through developmentally-appropriate "hands on" activities. Problem solving skills are part of an integrated curriculum, which includes music/movement and art. The children also participate in field trips and special activities, which reinforce their learning. Children are able to enjoy part of each day outside on the playground. Computers use age-appropriate software to reinforce other hands-on learning activities.

Age:  Must be four by September 1
Ratio: 2:16

Days: 

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons

As with all of our classes, the Kindergarten program is developmentally-based. It promotes learning in the areas of social/emotional development, self-help skills, motor control (large and small muscles), language experiences and cognition. Socialization, manners, and self-help instruction are integrated throughout the program. Fine motor activities are planned daily to promote refinement in the basic writing, coloring, and cutting skills. Language, reasoning and problem solving are challenged and enriched through units on literature, science and social studies, as well as experiments, field trips and other activities.

Whole language and phonics instruction form the core of the reading program, which is supplemented by age-appropriate computer programs. Children study letter names and sounds and are encouraged to read simple words and books appropriate to their individual reading levels. Mathematics is taught with a "hands-on" approach through the use of manipulative equipment. The skills of counting, grouping, patterning, basic operations, measuring, comparing, understanding time and money are some of the math topics studied. Handwriting is taught through instruction in the formation of letters, words, sentences, stories, and personal journals.

Music and art are also integral to this program. The children will have many opportunities to work in small groups, individually, and in large groups, both inside the classrooms and in the adjacent outdoor areas.

Age:  Must be five by September 1
Ratio: 2/18 ( 1 teacher / 1 teaching assistant )

Days: 

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
9:00 - 2:45

All children registered at Geneva Day School are eligible to stay for lunch. It is difficult for young 2-year-old children to make the transition to lunch early in the school year. Therefore, we ask that these children do not stay for lunch until February.

Lunchtime is 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. To register, parents submit a lunch form (provided each semester), accompanied by a check and indicating the days desired. Parents may also call or stop by the school office to arrange for their children to participate in the lunch program. The children may either bring their own bag lunch or order a catered lunch. The school will provide a half-pint of 2% low fat milk.

This program is designed to provide an instructional environment that fosters a child's creativity and enthusiasm for art. In a safe and accepting atmosphere, each child is given freedom to explore and enjoy the "art process". Children have the opportunity to use their special talents to express something unique about themselves. Each young artist learns that there are many ways to create. They are encouraged to use their imaginations and to experiment with and modify the art materials provided at each lesson. As a result, no two creations look alike because each child is allowed to make his/her own interpretation. The emphasis is on the process and not on the product. Nevertheless, the finished masterpieces created in this fun environment are truly wonderful.

Children are exposed to a wide variety of art media and techniques. Each new art process introduced will help to develop new skills and introduce new concepts while reinforcing those previously learned. The students are encouraged to ask questions and to analyze. They are encouraged to use all of their senses, to be curious, and to gain greater awareness and appreciation of the world of art that surrounds them.

Each art experience is designed to promote confidence and pride in the children's capabilities. They know that their efforts and their finished artwork are respected and appreciated. Their artwork is regularly displayed to be admired by all!

"Art through the Ages" is the theme of this program. First, factual information is presented at an appropriate level by means of art reproductions and stories. After a discussion of the time period being studied, children continue their learning through a "hands-on" activity. They enjoy capturing the mood, style, subject matter, or technique of a specific art period and/or artist. These art historians begin with "cave art" and advance through time to "contemporary art."

In both art curricula a description of the lesson is sent home so that parents are kept current on what their children are learning. This handout should be used as a catalyst for parents to talk with their children about what they created. Try asking your child to tell you about his/her picture. Then, show your enthusiasm for their masterpiece by commenting on the process used, what you see, and how the picture makes you feel. These types of comments let your children know that you appreciate their efforts as well as the finished product.

The music and movement program integrates movement, dance, songs, stories, instruments, games, puppets and rhythmic finger plays to create a musical atmosphere where children can begin to learn that music is everywhere.

The preschool years are an important time to explore and try different things. This allows children to learn at their own pace as they explore warm-ups and song. They will also begin to relate music to movement through games that will utilize their large motor skills and imaginative play. In addition, the children will talk about and utilize various instruments to play along as a group.

Music is an important way to develop emotional intelligence, for it can express what can't be said in words. Studies have also proven that children who are exposed to music at a young age tend to do better with logic- related problems. The goal of this program is for children to develop inner hearing, rhythmic understanding, and a love of music that will last all their lives.