The age of the children in the Ducks and Geese classrooms range from almost 4 to 5 years old. As they approach kindergarten, these children are becoming more independent and are capable of taking on more responsibilities. While all of the classrooms at RSCC are structured to encourage learning and development at every level, the Ducks and Geese classrooms are designed to prepare our children for kindergarten. Play based learning continues to be a crucial part of their learning process, but the children in these classrooms also spend more time exposed to structured learning. If you have any questions about what we are doing in the classrooms or about your child’s development, please feel free to arrange a meeting with your child’s teaching team. We will also schedule parent-teacher conferences twice a year. Naptime (1pm to 3pm) is a wonderful time to call the classrooms as well.

Children transition into the Pre-K rooms around their 4th birthday.  These rooms are licensed for up to 20 children, and have three teachers.

Each classroom has a clipboard with the class roster.  When you drop your child off each morning, you will need to write the time you are dropping off, along with your initials.  When you pick up your child each afternoon/evening, you will follow this same process and write the time you are picking up along with your initials.

Every child is assigned a cubby. The cubbies are intended for extra clothes, school bags, jackets, hats, and any other garments that your child may need throughout the day. The refrigerator for any food brought from home is located in the room. All food that comes in should be labeled with your child’s name and all bottles need to have a lid.  Breakfast and snack are included in your tuition.  Our optional School Lunch Program (with catered food brought in from Mama Lucia’s Monday-Thursday, and Ledo’s pizza served on Friday) is $75/month, or $5/day.  If you do not participate in the School Lunch Program, you will need to send lunch for your child from home.

At naptime the Fours sleep on mats provided by the School.  Parents are responsible for sending in a sheet, blanket, or nap roll for children to sleep on.  Your child’s bedding will be sent home each Friday to be laundered for the following week.

Four year olds are an incredibly fascinating age to be around. Now that they have mastered walking and running, their movements include more large muscle coordination, which in turn, lead to more refined and controlled small motor skills. Progress in cognitive development has sharpened perceptions and albeit few, their years of living have given them experiences upon which they have built observations and viewpoints. Although 4 year olds still rely on parents for security and comfort, the child’s social circle is expanding rapidly, and interactions with others are actively sought. In short, 4 year olds are transitioning from baby and toddler-like characteristics into tiny individuals…it is an exciting time!

1. Thematic Units/Studies We generally teach by choosing fun and interesting themes/studies, often taking cues from what the children show interest in. For example, we might do a unit on dinosaurs or outer space. We try to plan fun activities, projects, songs, etc. that center around the themes. To stimulate cognitive development, we read many books and ask thought- provoking questions. The children are always encouraged to bring in their own books from home. Language development is encouraged through many discussions of our themes and remembering what we have learned on previous days.
2. Learning Through Play A great deal of your child’s learning come through play. For example, playing with manipulative toys helps build fine motor skills. Block building and puzzles help develop problem solving skills. The dramatic play center fosters role playing and social development. The science materials encourage exploration and discovery. The math shelf encourages counting skills. The writing center helps build fine motor skills as well as letter recognition. The children become confident climbers, bike riders, ballplayers, etc. Free play gives the children the opportunity and experiences to build social-emotional development and gives their teachers time to observe and help adjust behaviors if needed. The learning through play time also gives rise to many “teachable moments” when children’s interests are triggered and they are open to learning new things.
3. The Creative Curriculum The Creative Curriculum, one of only 6 curriculum systems recommended by the Maryland State Department of Education, is a comprehensive program designed with the whole child in mind. Its founders, former early childhood teachers and teacher educators, combine the work of early childhood theorists along with the most current research in the field to create a system to help children learn and flourish in the areas of social-emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development. The Creative Curriculum also emphasizes the importance of positive interactions between children and adults, having a quality environment that supports the goal of learning, and strong teacher-family relationships

• Daily Schedule:
• 7:00-8:00: Arrival
• 8:00-9:00: Outside Play
• 9:00-9:15: Job chart and hand washing
• 9:15-9:45: Breakfast
• 9:45-10:45: Morning circle & Creative Curriculum activities (review homework, show & share, story time, songs, centers, and crafts)
• 10:45-11:00: Bathroom and clean-up
• 11:00-11:50: Outside Play
• 11:50-12:00: Wash hands
• 12:00-12:40: Lunch
• 12:40-1:00: Bathroom and story time
• 1:00-3:00: Nap
• 3:00-3:30: Wash hands and snack
• 3:30-4:00: Creative Curriculum review & number / letter exploration
• 4:00-4:15: Clean-up
• 4:15-5:40: Outside Play
• 5:40-6:00: Reading, puzzles, and departure

Each of these classes are offered once a week and registration forms can be retrieved from the Office.

Soccer

A 30 minute soccer session is offered once a week through Total Soccer Development. These classes are a great way for the kids to work on coordination, agility, and learn basic soccer skills.

Ballet

Every Wednesday Ms. Shannon comes from the Wheaton School of Dance to teach ballet for the 2’s, 3’s and 4’s/5’s.  Sessions are typically 10 weeks long and end with a Parent Observation.

JumpBunch

JumpBunch is a 30 minute physical movement class that encourages kids to enjoy physical activity, feel confident about their abilities and instill them with a love for being active and healthy. The classes meet every Friday and cost $45/month.

Please write your child’s name on his/ her belongings such as: bottles (please bring in bottles with caps), food containers (each piece), blankets and shoes.  Please provide us with a detailed note of any food allergies that your child has.  Always fill out the medication form if your child needs to have his/her medication at school (we are unable to give them without a written permission). If your child is given medicine at home, warn us about any reaction that may occur.  Please check to make sure that there are extra clothes in his/her cubby.  If you can, let us know if you plan to pick up your child early so we can reschedule his/her day accordingly.

1. Blanket or sheet
2. Extra clothes
3. Sunscreen
4. Water bottle/thermos for the playground
5. Summertime: Water shoes or sandals, swimming diapers, bathing suit & towel

The Swan class was developed for those children who have may have been through the four year old program, but are not quite old enough for kindergarten. These children are usually those with Fall birthdays in September, October, and sometimes November (space permitting).  One focus in this class is on “skill building,” and we expand on and enrich those skills learned in the four year old program. To achieve this, we use the High Reach curriculum. This curriculum covers many skills and concepts such as:

• Letter Recognition
• Initial Consonant Sounds
• Blending Phonemes
• Reading Comprehension
• Creative Writing
• Number Concepts 0-20
• Addition & Subtraction
• Ordinal Position & Patterning
• Measurement
• Time & Money
• Prediction
• Analysis & Experiment
• Cultural Awareness

With a mix of structured learning time and playtime in an environment that is hands-on, fun, exciting and enriching, your child will leave the Swan class with confidence and a head start on kindergarten.

Each classroom has a clipboard with the class roster.  When you drop your child off each morning, you will need to write the time you are dropping off, along with your initials.  When you pick up your child each afternoon/evening, you will follow this same process and write the time you are picking up along with your initials.

Every child is assigned a cubby. The cubbies are intended for extra clothes, school bags, jackets, hats, and any other garments that your child may need throughout the day. The refrigerator for any food brought from home is located in the room. All food that comes in should be labeled with your child’s name and all bottles need to have a lid.  Breakfast and snack are included in your tuition.  Our optional School Lunch Program (with catered food brought in from Mama Lucia’s Monday-Thursday, and Ledo’s pizza served on Friday) is $75/month, or $5/day.  If you do not participate in the School Lunch Program, you will need to send lunch for your child from home.

At naptime the children sleep on mats provided by the School.  Parents are responsible for sending in a sheet, blanket, or nap roll for children to sleep on.  Your child’s bedding will be sent home each Friday to be laundered for the following week.

• Daily Schedule:
• 7:00-8:00: Arrival
• 8:00-9:00: Outside Play
• 9:00-9:15: Job chart and hand washing
• 9:15-9:45: Breakfast
• 9:45-10:45: Morning circle & Creative Curriculum activities (review homework, show & share, story time, songs, centers, and crafts)
• 10:45-11:00: Bathroom and clean-up
• 11:00-11:50: Outside Play
• 11:50-12:00: Wash hands
• 12:00-12:40: Lunch
• 12:40-1:00: Bathroom and story time
• 1:00-3:00: Nap
• 3:00-3:30: Wash hands and snack
• 3:30-4:00: Creative Curriculum review & number / letter exploration
• 4:00-4:15: Clean-up
• 4:15-5:40: Outside Play
• 5:40-6:00: Reading, puzzles, and departure

Each of these classes are offered once a week and registration forms can be retrieved from the Office.

Soccer

A 30 minute soccer session is offered once a week through Total Soccer Development. These classes are a great way for the kids to work on coordination, agility, and learn basic soccer skills.

Ballet

Every Wednesday Ms. Shannon comes from the Wheaton School of Dance to teach ballet for the 2’s, 3’s and 4’s/5’s.  Sessions are typically 10 weeks long and end with a Parent Observation.

JumpBunch

JumpBunch is a 30 minute physical movement class that encourages kids to enjoy physical activity, feel confident about their abilities and instill them with a love for being active and healthy. The classes meet every Friday and cost $45/month.

Please write your child’s name on his/ her belongings such as: bottles (please bring in bottles with caps), food containers (each piece), blankets and shoes.  Please provide us with a detailed note of any food allergies that your child has.  Always fill out the medication form if your child needs to have his/her medication at school (we are unable to give them without a written permission). If your child is given medicine at home, warn us about any reaction that may occur.  Please check to make sure that there are extra clothes in his/her cubby.  If you can, let us know if you plan to pick up your child early so we can reschedule his/her day accordingly.

1. Blanket or sheet
2. Extra clothes
3. Sunscreen
4. Water bottle or thermos for the playground
5. Summertime: Water shoes or sandals, swimming diapers, bathing suit & towel