Preschool & Kindergarten
At Kehoe-France Southshore, learning in Pre-K3, Pre-K4, and Kindergarten is individualized, supportive and effective. Students are encouraged to learn through play, exploration, and discovery.
We believe that the best way to help children succeed is to teach them to be creative, confident thinkers. The framework provided by the International Baccalaureate® Primary Years Program (PYP) extends and enhances the students’ exploration of their environment and develops their sense of international-mindedness.
The Learning Environment
Safe, sanitary and aesthetically pleasing, our preschool’s indoor and outdoor learning environments encourage distinctive types of play and promote development in all areas.
Indoor learning areas are flexible, accommodating practical considerations and children’s changing interests. Each interest area is saturated with materials and manipulatives that promote fun, hands-on learning all day long. Outdoors, the children have the opportunity to run and play on large, grassy fields, climb and interact on developmentally appropriate playground equipment, as well as swim during the appropriate seasons.
Our Staff
In every Pre-K3 classroom, there is a lead teacher and an assistant. In Pre-K4 and Kindergarten, the lead teachers share assistants. Our small and intimate class sizes allow for plenty of hands-on, individualized attention and interaction.
Our lead teachers are degreed and certified, and many of them have, or are working on, a master’s degree. Teachers work hard to ensure that their classrooms serve as a learning community.
The Daily Curriculum
We believe a consistent daily routine supports active learning and builds on children’s interests. Through active learning, children construct knowledge through immediate hands-on experiences that are supported by adults.
The daily routine is broken up into:
- Both small and large group meetings
- “Choice time” when the children interact in play-based centers
- Snack and lunch times
- Read-aloud times
- Outdoor play
- Rest time
During all of these learning experiences, children are immersed in reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, science and technology.
In alignment with the IB framework, the children are also exposed to Music and Movement, Spanish Language Acquisition, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), Physical Education and Health, and the Arts, one to two times each week.
