Philosophy

The Bearspaw Preschool is a place where children come to play and learn in a safe, caring, inviting and stimulating environment. Children are able to explore and play freely in a variety of open centres with other children they choose to be with. Centres are designed to meet the growing and changing social, emotional, physical, aesthetic/artistic and intellectual needs of the children. The teachers and staff members act as a resource and guide for children to pursue these classroom activities.

The program is non-competitive and there is no testing of ability or direct comparison to peers. Parents are welcome to arrange individual meetings with the teacher to discuss their child's development.

Children learn by doing. Hands-on activities that have been chosen by the child can help make sense of the world, develop social skills, and help gain emotional control, develop physically, socially, intellectually and creatively. The aim of a play based preschool is to provide a variety of interesting learning centers where a child is free to choose what he wants to play with.

In preparation for kindergarten, the four-year-old program includes an extra half an hour of instructional time each day to allow for increased opportunities to focus on early literacy and early numeracy skills.

You will be disappointed if you expect your child to…

• Say his ABCs
• Learn her 123s
• Perform and please

But you will be pleased to find that your child has improved in his/her attitudes and her ability to…

• Explore and run
• Share and have fun
• Finish what is begun
• Put away when done
• Demand less "all or none"
• Restrict her NO
• Let parent go