More than just daycare…
We are a family of educators and caregivers that maintain an equal emphasis on the social and academic realms in a Christian environment. At Morrison Preschool your child will receive helpful guidance in social interaction with their classmates, as well as learning opportunities that will enhance your child's future.
At Morrison Preschool, each of our staff members are background checked before stepping into a classroom. They must also begin DCF’s mandated 45-hour training within their first ninety days of employment. Our teachers are held to a very high training standard, and we value and promote professional development. Each of our Lead Teachers either have, or are currently pursuing, their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. In addition, Morrison Preschool requires teachers annually complete a minimum of twenty in-service training hours.
HighScope
The HighScope Curriculum is research based and child focused. HighScope uses a carefully designed process called active participatory learning to achieve powerful, positive outcomes. During active learning, children learn about the world around them by exploring and playing. Learning and development are anchored by long-term, trusting relationships with caregivers, who are always close at hand to support children, and consistent yet flexible routines.
As teachers, parents, and educational researchers have discovered, the HighScope Preschool Curriculum not only helps young children excel in language and cognitive learning but also promotes independence, curiosity, decision-making, cooperation, persistence, creativity, and problem solving — the fundamental skills that help determine success in adult life.
At Morrison Preschool, we use the following programs, activities, and practices to enhance our curriculum:
STEAM
STEAM refers to the concepts of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. You might be thinking your preschooler is “too young” to understand these concepts, and you wouldn’t be completely wrong. They are, however, the perfect age to begin fostering and encouraging a love for these disciplines. In a Preschool setting…
Science is investigating, asking questions, observing, and conducting experiments to help us understand the natural world
Technology looks like simple tools or machines such as scissors, crayons, and wheels, not necessarily electronics like tablets or computers
Engineering is building, designing, recognizing problems, and testing solutions
Arts make learning visible! Music and drama are also included in the arts
Mathematics is the understanding of numbers, shapes, patterns, and more
Conscious Discipline
Conscious Discipline is an evidence-based, trauma-informed approach that is based on a Brain State Model that promotes safety, connection, and problem solving. By practicing Conscious Discipline, teachers are able to turn everyday situations into learning opportunities through the use of behavior management strategies and classroom structure.
The three components of the Brain State Model are:
1. Executive State - Problem-Solving
2. Emotional State - Connection
3. Survival State - Safety
A Little SPOT
Diane Alber’s “A Little SPOT” series provides both students and teachers an opportunity to express and understand their emotions. The main character in the series, SPOT, appears to be a colorful ball of scribbles. However, SPOT learns that he’s actually just tangled up with emotions! By personifying the emotions, children are able to better understand and manage their own feelings! The series is a great resource for Social-Emotional Development as it provides a variety of resources to help children learn to regulate their emotions.
Kindness Curriculum
The curriculum we will be using is called Bucket Fillers 101. The “Bucket Fillosophy” is to help all ages grow in kindness, self-control, resilience, and forgiveness, all leading to a happier life. This philosophy teaches three rules that lead to greater happiness:
1. Be a bucket filler. Be kind
2. Do your best not to dip. Don’t be mean
3. Use your lid. Protect your bucket and the buckets of others
Sign Language
The curriculum we use comes from two resources. These are Sign to Learn: American Sign Language in the Early Childhood Classroom and Sign Language Fun in the Early Childhood Classroom. American Sign Language is not only the 4th most commonly used language, but research has shown that when learned at an early age, ASL can: accelerate a child’s speech and emotional development; provide a child with the means to communicate effectively; enrich a child’s cognitive process which can lead to higher creative thinking, acquire better problem solving, and better listening skills (Math, Science and Language); lower a child’s level of frustration; improve the adult-child bonding; enable a child to achieve a higher IQ point average, attain better grades in school, obtain earlier reading skills and a larger vocabulary (Language and Literacy). It also benefits children with developmental disabilities including spoken communication skills and attentiveness to social gestures, as well as promoting cultural awareness.
Yoga
The curriculum we use is called Kids Yoga Stories. Providing an exercise routine with young children from the start helps to establish healthy habits beginning at an early age. Yoga enhances a child’s strength, coordination, and flexibility while it encourages body awareness and self-esteem. Improving flexibility can also reduce a child’s chance of injury. Yoga has been proven to reduce a child’s anxiety and stress and promote a sense of calmness in young children as well. Yoga teaches discipline and reduces impulsivity as they are busy working on how to clear their minds to perfect their poses. Finally, Yoga helps young children develop confidence which is crucial to their social-emotional development.
Author Study
The students will learn about what an author does in the beginning of the school year. Throughout the year, each month will feature a popular children’s author. Students will learn about, hear stories written by and do various activities that correspond to the author, the story or a concept which relates to the author.
Chapel
Chapel is held on Thursday mornings at 9:15 in the Family Life Center for the Yellow, Blue, and Red Classrooms. Children will participate in singing worship songs, and a children’s sermon will be given by the Pastor. Offering is collected each week during Chapel. Money can be placed in the “Chapel Fund” bottle in the Preschool lobby, and it will then be distributed amongst the classrooms, so each child is able to participate. Money collected is donated to Foster Love, an organization that supports children in foster care.