School-Age (Big Kids) Program
Values at the Heart of the Big Kids Program
For school-age children, a key developmental task is growing a healthy sense of self in relationship with other people. We support children in this work by creating many opportunities for self-reflection, for playful exchanges with companions, for collaborative projects, and for sharing the stories that shape who we are. Some ways that you’ll see this value reflected in our program include:
- Each day children and teachers meet together to share breakfast and snack. Coming together around the table creates opportunities to share stories from our days, further building the knowledge we have of each other.
- Our days hold extended periods of time for open-ended play. As children play together, they build solid and joyful relationships with each other.
- We regularly play cooperative games that help us come to know each other in playful, light-hearted ways.
- We work together every few weeks in small groups on engaging, challenging projects that invite collaboration and cooperative problem-solving. These projects draw forth children’s creativity and artistic vision. Examples of recent small group projects include crafting villages with clay, and constructing homes with collage materials.
- Teachers keep an attentive eye on recurring topics of conversation and play that we can explore through in-depth project work. When we grow projects from children’s passions and pursuits, we honor who they are and what they care about, and we invite children to know each other more fully.
- Teachers work in partnership with each child’s family, seeking to learn from them about their values, family rituals, and important celebrations, so that we can build connections between home and Hilltop.