Fostering Creativity and Community
Our programs are designed to offer children opportunities to explore and discover their world and the larger world outside of their own world. We believe children learn best through hands-on experiences that welcome self-expression and creative thinking. Our school provides an environment in which children are able to make real choices in an atmosphere of acceptance and cooperation. We help children attain success in intellectual, creative, and social endeavors while always being aware of their need for love, belonging, guidance, and respect. We emphasize peace, kindness, and caring in our school community, and extend this philosophy to our local community and beyond. We guide children by fostering their independence while gaining social skills, providing a language-rich environment, and recognizing the importance of physical development.
A Multi-Faceted Curriculum
Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs and interests of the whole child, with activities addressing individual learning styles and multiple intelligences. Teachers expose children to a multi-faceted curriculum and rich learning environment designed to motivate and help each child to be successful while meeting the needs of the group, as well. Resources utilized for curriculum development are the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria and the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences.
Meeting Children’s Needs
Addressing children’s interests and meeting individual needs is an important part of our philosophy. We form Child Study Teams within our own staff to observe and develop strategies for children, and often seek independent expert advice in assessment and development of individualized programs. We also work with consultants, early intervention specialists, and special needs programs of local public school systems.
Family Involvement
We create a warm and welcoming environment for both children and their families at Groton Community School. Developing and maintaining a partnership with families is a high priority, with on-going communication about children’s school experiences and developmental milestones, in addition to school-wide happenings. We value and appreciate the feedback and involvement of all the families in our programs.
Handwriting Without Tears® Program
We endorse the Handwriting Without Tears® Program, with age-appropriate activities for children in our Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten classes to enhance letter recognition and writing skills. The program incorporates music and movement activities and hands-on materials to foster the development of physical readiness and literacy skills. Handwriting Without Tears® introduces children to lines, curves, sizes, and directional concepts through a unique curriculum using multi-sensory techniques, beginning in the early preschool years. Before children even pick up a pencil, they are working toward consistent habits for letter recognition and formation in subsequent years. The instructional techniques and activities also help improve self-confidence, pencil grip, body awareness, and posture.
