West Bee Nursery School
        PRESCHOOL

At West Bee Nursery School we believe that...

• Children are capable, competent, curious self-learners motivated by a desire to make sense of the world.

• Nature is not just a topic, but an integrating thread that ties our program together.

• Nature is an additional teacher at West Bee Nursery School.

• Play that is “freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated” is the optimal format for learning in early childhood.

• The teacher’s role is to build authentic relationships with each child based on trust and respect.

• ~CURRICULUM~

• Nature is “infused” into all aspects of our program, emphasizing inquiry-based learning through play and hands-on experiences. We use authentic experiences that are seasonally based. Our integrated curriculum units include experimentally based nature projects inside and outside. Units are child initiated. Photo documentation of our units are posted on our curriculum board. West Bee uses an emergent curriculum, which is curriculum planning based on the student’s and teacher's interest and passions. We set themes that we are developmentally appropriate and exciting for both children and teachers; however, we may not follow through on a theme if the children lose interest in it. We may also cut themes short or extend themes based on current interests and passions.  Activities that we do are documented and sent home at the end of every week for families to extend or discuss at home. You will also find the VELS (Vermont Early Learning Standards) and the Creative Curriculum Continuum objectives that we are using during the unit listed on our themes board.

• ~LOOSE PARTS~

• Children thrive creatively in a space with open-ended materials that can be moved around, manipulated, tinkered with, and incorporated into play in many ways. Loose parts are endless; however, you will see natural resources such as mud, straw, pinecones, seeds, herbs, flowers, and sticks. Building materials such as safety glasses, hammers, nails, saws, hand-drills, and planks. Scrap materials such as old gutters, PVC pipes, and other cut-off materials. Many naturally occurring and disappearing phenomena such as water, ice, snow, rainbows, spiderwebs, shadows and light in our outdoor learning spaces. Loose parts offer limitless possibilities.

• ~MESSY PLAY~

• Mess is an essential part of childhood. Our goal is for children to “lose” themselves in play. Therefore, getting messy is part of the learning. By mess we are referring to water, dirt, mud, sand, paint, grass sliding, hill climbing, leaf and puddle jumping, mud pie/stew making and much more. We recommend sending TWO sets of extra clothes in your child’s backpack each day for this reason.  Children will be encouraged to take part in “earthing” by exploring nature without any footwear or socks on. 

• ~PROCESS NOT PRODUCT~

• During our creative times children will be encouraged to follow their ideas as they envision it. We will encourage the process without judgment or specific direction. We encourage parents to focus on what the child used to create or to ask children to explain what they made rather than trying to guess. “I see you used red paint; can you tell me more about this”?

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