Preschool classrooms are arranged with “Discovery Areas”, allowing free play while exploring and experiencing the various themes in our curriculum. Our Toddler classrooms ( aka Freshman), for children 12-24 months, provides daily supervised floor time, individual cuddle time throughout the day, music and dancing experiences, stories, songs and finger play, discovery time, arts and textural experiences, and an age appropriate circle time, and signing time. Child to staff ratio is 4:1, with class sizes of 4.    Our Sophomore Preschool classroom, for 2 and 3 year olds in diapers and toilet training, offers areas for both quiet and active play, and is set up in areas similar to the other preschool classrooms. Experiences include block play, table toys, pretend play, fine motor development such as lacing, peg boards, puzzles, and coloring and painting, textural experiences ( such as playdough), and gross motor activities indoors and outdoors. We include activities in art, dance, and music. Stories, songs and fingerplay are included daily, as is an age appropriate circle time. Staff ratio is 8:1, with an average class size of 12.
The Junior Preschool classroom is for 3- 4 year olds. ( Ratio 8:1) Senior Preschool classroom is for children age 4-5. ( Ratio 10:1) Our arts rich theme-based curriculum  offers experiences in visual and dramatic arts, creative movement, music, children’s literature, gross motor (physical education activities), phonics, an early exposure to Spanish, and cultural awareness and diversity. The curriculum is created with age appropriate themes each week. Projects and classroom play focus on these themes. Each week music class is offered with a visiting instructor, and Spanish is provide to children in the Junior and Senior Preschool classrooms twice a week. Additional optional experiences and activities, such as Pre-Ballet, are also available. Seasonal optional experiences have included Swimming Lessons, Soccer Tots, Yoga, and Creative Movement.    Mornings in the Sophomore, Junior and Senior Preschool classrooms consists of breakfast, free play in discovery areas, circle and story time, project or other arts experience, and outdoor play. Lunch and "quiet time" are followed by snack, stories, free play in discovery areas, outdoor play and an afternoon arts experience. Freshman and Sophomore classrooms have a mid morning snack.	Science/Sensory Center- Here children explore basic science concepts such as weight and volume, they are provided with real objects to feel, observe, and explore. Your child will explore insects, magnets, kaleidoscopes, prisms, discovery bottles, shells, rocks, plants, and more.
	Circle Area- A place to gather for calender, stories, songs, and other learning activities that foster listening, language development, creativity and social development. Pretend/Dramatic Play (House Area)- Provides a place for your child to act out events in their daily life or their imaginations, developing language and social skills. Library/Reading Area- A quiet place to read or look at books encouraging early reading skills and language development. Art Area- Allows children to express themselves imaginatively,while developing fine motor and other skills using a variety of tools and materials.
Block Area- Exploring building and math concepts (ie. shape, balance) and dramatic play. Math/Manipulative Area- From sorting, grouping and counting, creating patterns and shapes,constructing puzzles and lacing beads, this area promotes math concept development, while increasing fine motor development. Music and Movement Experiences- Weekly experiences in music and movement allows children to express themselves, increase self esteem, and increase fine and gross motor skills.   Pre- Ballet Class ( option)- is taught by an experienced teacher who also teaches in a Missoula dance studio. There are two classes offered once a week, ages 2 1/2-3 1/2 and 3 1/2 and up.    Spanish- An introduction to Spanish, for children ages 3 and older, is provided twice a week in the Junior and Senior Preschool classrooms.    Field trips for children 3 years old are limited to within walking distance due to licensing regulations.  Field trips for child 4 and 5 are often arranged to the Carousel, Dragon Hollow, the Children's Museum, and the local park. We either walk or use public transport for these trips. We also provide opportunities for visits from our local Police and Fire station, etc.