Early Childhood Preschool | Prekindergarten | Kindergarten Forward-focused preparation for the real world through the development of character and intellect 1 character I like Hawken School because it’s a happy place, and the teachers and kids are all nice. All the teachers and kids respect one another. Kindergarten Student 2 “The main purpose for which the school exists is the development of character.” James A. Hawken, Founder At Hawken, we not only teach children to be great students, we encourage them to be great people. Our Early Childhood program allows students to experience the joys of childhood while developing the foundational knowledge and habits of mind to support lifelong learning. We believe that laying the groundwork for your child to live a happy, meaningful life requires not just mastery of skills but character traits like curiosity, honesty, initiative, and resilience. That’s why our century-old motto of “Fair Play” permeates all that we do. It helps guide the thinking, speaking, and actions of every member of our community and creates responsible, empathetic citizens. “Instilling in students the skills they need to become successful adults is a top priority at Hawken. But we believe that who students become is just as important as what they become. We intentionally create our innovative programming and our community culture of inclusiveness in ways that inspire our students to go out and be good people who do good things in the world.” D. Scott Looney, Head of School To meet our Head of School, visit hawken.edu/HeadofSchool 3 academics “Help the child to feel, to see and to hear; to wonder, admire and revere; to believe, hope and love.” James A. Hawken, Founder 4 Academics: Joyful learning Early childhood students are by their very nature creative beings. We try to nurture your child’s creativity at every turn, fostering a love of exploration and the joy of discovery. Research has proven again and again that children in the early developmental stages of growth learn best when given the time and space to explore and play. Purposeful play helps children learn how to make decisions and choices. When your child spends time engaged in activities that he or she cares about, confidence flourishes. There is essentially no distinction between work and play in our early childhood program; work is play and play is work. Every activity and interaction is geared toward helping your child develop into a capable, caring, and resourceful adult. “Play is the natural art and science of childhood. It is the space where children explore and experiment with concepts ranging from problem-solving with the principles of physics to negotiating and sharing ideas with peers. Play is the space where children learn the gratification of working on a project independently and the joy of being with others. Play is the place where children develop the fundamentals not only for their school careers but for their lives.” Brooke Marcy Preschool Teacher/Admission Officer For more information on Hawken’s Early Childhood Curriculum, visit hawken.edu/EarlyChildhood 5 “Hawken’s Early Childhood program is unique and extraordinary. We deliberately craft strong, personal relationships with each family, allowing us to know every student as if he or she were our own. Guiding students and their families through their first years of school is an honor and a responsibility that we take seriously. Meeting our youngest students where they are in all areas of development, and scaffolding them to the next steps, can only happen when we truly know them as learners. The Early Childhood faculty craft engaging, hands-on learning experiences that foster a love of learning, and a love of Hawken, in our students.” Sara Milbourn, Preschool Teacher community 6 A learning environment that says, “You are valued.” Because children perform best when they feel known and cared for, Hawken teachers work to create a physically and emotionally safe environment that sets the tone for the development of your child’s innate curiosity. Emphasizing a student- centered approach, teachers attend to each child as he or she makes discoveries and observations about the world. In this supportive atmosphere, your child will develop confident, positive attitudes toward school. Through reassuring routines that include greeting each child by name every day during Morning Meeting and a hug or handshake from the teacher at the end of the day, your child will quickly come to understand that he or she is part of a warm, accepting community. This sense of empowerment will inspire in your child the confidence and desire to make a difference in his or her classroom and beyond. “You want a happy child. Hawken is a joyful learning environment, and the teachers make it so.” Andrea Hill, Parent 7 an illuminated glass wall of bubbling a studio water for quiet time for free and peaceful visits exploration with friends and family of art media the nido Facilities that welcome and inspire one-on-one time between student and teacher. This space supports small group work for targeted A community space for our youngest students and learning and provides room for larger gatherings. their parents, the Nido is a physical reminder of the important partnership between family and school. This unique, stimulating environment invites Intentionally designed as a welcoming gathering your child to think in new and creative ways, place for parents, students, and teachers, the Nido facilitating his or her academic, social, and encourages parent engagement while enabling personal growth. 8 a community kitchen with a child green spaces height area for a stage for large motor student activities for dramatic activities and and regular adult play, musical community facilities for events performances, and assemblies and gatherings class presentations It’s a real inspiration. I’ve seen many early childhood spaces, and this is the most beautiful and child-centered space I’ve ever seen. Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus, Harvard Medical School and founder of the Brazelton Touchpoints Center at Children’s Hospital Boston, speaking at the grand opening of the Early Childhood Center 9 Preschool & prekindergarten • Academic and social curricula of equal importance program highlights • Strong partnerships with families to support individual student growth and development • Two full-time teachers in each classroom to ensure personalized student attention • Recognition of the power of language and its impact on children • A world language program introducing Spanish and Mandarin Chinese in prekindergarten • A wide variety of program choices to meet students’ developmental needs • Young Explorers program in science, movement, visual and dramatic arts, and world cultures through literacy and music • Extended Day support from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm 10 At Hawken you get to learn a language starting in prekindergarten. I like to learn Chinese because it’s so fun. I love it. You don’t have to do it by yourself; you do it with the class. Kindergarten Student 11 12 explore A day in the life of preschool & prekindergarten • The day begins with a period of exploration • Students participate in one or more special where your child will interact with teachers area classes every day. These include literacy and friends. Teachers greet and welcome every (in addition to daily literacy activities in the student and invite each one to read the Morning classroom), music, library, and physical education. Message. The message introduces students to In prekindergarten, students also add world their day and includes an interactive component languages to their special area classes. that encourages them to become an active learner in their classroom community. • Clean-up time is an important part of the day as children work together to take care of the • Following Morning Explorations, students begin classroom. Proper care of materials is introduced their work together as they gather for Morning during the first six weeks of school through the Meeting. This integral part of every school day processes of guided discovery and modeling. acknowledges the importance of each individual in the classroom community and develops • Large motor skills are practiced and strengthened interest in and enthusiasm for learning together. on a daily basis, utilizing both indoor and outdoor facilities. Each class meets once each • Activity time follows and consists of both week for a formal physical education class. teacher-directed and student-initiated choices. Experiences span a variety of interests including • Snack is another important daily activity where creative arts, building and construction, cooking, children have the opportunity to practice science inquiry, math awareness, language arts, manners and strengthen vocabulary skills as they and dramatic play. engage in conversation with teachers and peers. • The morning concludes with a Closing Meeting that may include read-alouds, poems, finger plays, sharing, or reflection. Reflecting on a day’s events is an important component of the learning process. My favorite thing is playing with my friends because it makes me happy and makes me feel safe, and I don’t worry about anything. Preschool Student 13 Early Childhood Young Explorers program options Young Explorers classes offer your child activities that promote creativity, imagination, and physical development. Classes are taught in the hours Hawken’s Early Childhood Program immediately following lunch until the end of the offers families a range of choices to school day at 2:45 pm. These activities include, but meet their particular needs, including are not limited to, the following topics: early morning and late afternoon care. • Science Preschool families can choose between • Large motor movement three and five mornings with options • Visual & Dramatic Arts to extend the day through lunch or • Global Connections (Language & Culture) Young Explorers. Prekindergarten is a • Music five-morning program with options to stay through lunch or Young Explorers.