ABOUT NEW HOPE PRESCHOOL
MISSION
PHILOSOPHY
CURRICULUM
MISSION
OUR MISSION
New Hope Preschool is a non-profit preschool and is an extension of the Children's Ministry Program of New Hope Presbyterian Church. We offer hands-on, developmentally appropriate preschool education to children ages 3 and up.
With the overall goal of preparing our young learners for kindergarten and beyond, the children are taught in a loving, faith-based environment, by state-qualified teachers who strive to meet the unique needs of each child using Howard Gardner's philosophy of "Multiple Intelligences."
Our curriculum focuses on further strengthening each child's social, emotional, spiritual, cognitive, and physical development through developmentally appropriate practice. In order to achieve this, children participate in painting, drawing, creating, pretending, building, listening, talking, climbing, running, singing, dancing, and exploring, just to name a few!
PHILOSOPHY
Our Philosophy
We believe children learn best in a structured environment where praise is readily given.
We believe children need movement throughout the day.
We believe children should be able to sing and laugh, talk and listen, and be talked to and listened to each day.
We believe parents, teachers, and children are partners in education.
We believe appropriate behavior is learned through consistent guidance.
We believe in furthering a child's Christian growth through praise songs, worship, and prayer.
We believe a child's preschool experience should be happy, fun, exciting and nurturing.
It is our privilege to care for and teach your child.
CURRICULUM
CURRICULUM
The content covered in our classrooms varies based on age, but the overall curricular philosophy remains consistent throughout each classroom at New Hope Preschool.
We offer hands-on, thematic curriculum based on the principles of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory. Each learning activity is designed with a particular “intelligence” in mind. In our youngest classroom(s), socialization is the overall curricular goal. Children learn the classroom routine, how to listen to adults outside the home, how to take turns and share, and how to be away from the home environment for short periods of time. All of this is practiced through engaging learning activities that keep the children active and interested as they move from one learning area to another.
Our older classroom(s) continue to structure their themes around Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory, but also incorporate the “Get Set for School” program, which includes the “Handwriting Without Tears” curriculum. With these additions, children further refine skills necessary for kindergarten readiness.
All classrooms also use the "Amazing Action Alphabet" phonics program, through which children are taught an action for each sound, which helps them attach meaning to letters and sounds.
Play is another important component of our curriculum. Each classroom incorporates a minimum of 45 minutes of free play into each day. Research has consistently shown the value of play for young children. Through play, children develop social competence, problem solving strategies and skills, imagination and intelligence, language, and perceptual-motor abilities.
Teachers also have an important role during free play. They help facilitate age-appropriate conversations between children, and assist with problem solving as conflict arises.
Teachers also model "play" by joining in with the children when appropriate or necessary. Finally, teachers assist with engaging children in play activities until they are able to do so independently.