our program
our philosophy
Our creative, child-centered curriculum and involvement with the local public schools and local community resources ensures that our graduates are well-prepared for kindergarten.
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The Community School seeks to provide an affordable, high-quality program for children of varying social and economic backgrounds. Our child-centered, developmental approach includes attention to a child’s social, emotional, and physical growth.
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Our experienced and caring teachers strive to help children develop confidence, independence, a sense of responsibility, and problem-solving skills. Within the daily routine, children learn clear and consistent limits, logical consequences, and sensitivity toward and awareness of others.
our curriculum is....
play-based
We devote a large part of each school day to play — through play, children learn how to plan, create, solve problems, negotiate, make connections, and develop language, cognitive, social, as well as fine and gross motor skills.
developmentally appropriate
We know that each child will progress through a predictable series of milestones at his or her own pace, so we develop individualized expectations for each child. Using their knowledge of child development, our educators design the curriculum using a balance of child-initiated and teacher-selected activities. Each day, we offer a variety of learning experiences that encourage each child to work to his or her ability level. We believe that families are our partners in this process.
aligned with the Massachusetts Guidelines for Preschool Learning Standards
Each classroom uses a thematic approach to introduce the core components of the Guidelines for the Preschool Learning Experiences developed by the Massachusetts Board of Education and based on the standards for pre-kindergarten in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Core components include English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Technology, History and Social Studies, Health Education, and the Arts.
connected to our community
We are so fortunate to be located in the heart of downtown Maynard. We consider the town to be one of our classrooms and we plan weekly “Community Connections” to interact with the nature, local businesses, community helpers, and cultural district that surround our school.