A Five-Day Option for Older Preschoolers
Monday through Friday Full-Day Pre-K or AM Pre-K with an Extended Day Option
(For children age 4 and 5 years old at the start of the school year)
We offer AM or Full Day Pre-K Classes for four-year-olds and five-year-olds who would benefit from the continuity of a five-day program. Children in the AM Pre-K Class have Extended Day options to meet childcare needs. Please note that children must be at least 4 years old in order to be eligible for the AM Pre-K Class and a minimum of 4 years and 3 months of age at the start of the school year for the Full Day Pre-K Class. Priority will be given to the older children enrolling in Pre-K classes. Four-year-olds, who turn five in the fall (just missing the cut-off date for Kindergarten), are good candidates for Pre-K, and can then go off to Kindergarten the following year. Some five-year-olds enjoy and benefit from another year before Kindergarten, and our Pre-K Programs serve them well in all areas of their development. Pre-K classes share similar goals with an older three-day Preschool program geared to four-year-old and five-year-old children, which include increasing abilities with making transitions, working in a group, developing math concepts, learning literacy skills and experimenting with writing. While all classes participate in the handwriting program, Handwriting Without Tears®, children in our Pre-K Programs participate in greater depth with the corresponding workbook, as well as the Eureka Math program.
A five-day schedule offers Pre-K children a continuity of structure and opportunities for increased exposure to curriculum areas. Projects can be extended over time for in depth investigation and multiple opportunities to practice cognitive skills. Five classes a week allow additional opportunities to tailor the curriculum to children’s needs. Likewise, children tend to develop strong bonds with the group as they have ample opportunity to pursue friendships and learn skills in social interactions. Four- and five-year-olds are beginning to function more independently than younger children, but still need practice in cooperation and group interactions. Many projects are done with partners or in small groups where children can learn to cooperate and also become increasingly self-assured.
Although our AM Pre-Kindergarten is a Half-Day program, many Pre-Kindergarten families also take advantage of our Extended Day Program before and after class as well.
What Our Families Say:
“The Pre-K teachers at GCS put the ‘cool’ in ‘school’! It’s amazing how packed full of growth and learning opportunities the program is while keeping everything fun and interactive.”
“Our daughter is a ‘September baby’ and therefore missed the cut-off for Kindergarten by a few short weeks. At first, we questioned what this meant for her future, but then we were told at her parent-teacher conference at GCS that she would be an excellent candidate for the Pre-K Program. What a wonderful year it was for her! Her communication and leadership skills grew immensely and she learned so much from all of the creative lessons. At the end of the Pre-K year, we felt she was prepared to navigate the road ahead to Kindergarten!”