REMARKABLE DISCOVERY T h e P r e s c h o ol for B oys and Gir ls at
AT
KENT PLACE SCHOOL
W E B E L I E V E T HAT A C H I L D’ S F I R S T S C H O O L EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE HIS OR HER
BEST SCHOOL EXPERIENCE
AND IT ’S A PHILOSOPHY BY WHICH WE LIVE A N D T E AC H E V E RY M O M E N T O F E V E RY DAY. Our Preschool recognizes these years of social, emotional and cognitive development as some of your child’s most important—and, by fostering independence and encouraging academic rigor, offers truly unique preparation for primary school and beyond. Poke your head into one of our vibrant classrooms and you’ll see children counting and sorting acorns, decorating and opening a “flower shop,” using flipbooks to construct rhyming sentences, circling a friend in our birthday crown. Step outside and they’re planting bulbs, jumping and climbing in our beautiful playgrounds, hiking around our 26-acre campus and then journaling—with the help of one of our wonderful teachers—all they see. The preschool years are a truly life-defining time—marked by growing self-reliance, unbridled curiosity and remarkable discovery. Guiding your children through them is something the Preschool at Kent Place School does holistically, wholeheartedly, and very, very well. But don’t just take our word for it— see for yourself in the pages that follow.
OUR PRESCHOOL AT A GLANCE C U R R I C U LUM: Our curriculum, thoughtfully designed to meet each child at his or her individual level, guides our students through the full spectrum of personal development while establishing classroom routines. Academic and special offerings include literacy, math and science, handwriting, world languages (French and Spanish), physical education, creative movement, art, theater, music and library. FAC U LT Y: Experienced early childhood development specialists STU D E N T TO FAC ULT Y RATI O: Approximately 5:1 in Junior Pre-Kindergarten, 7:1 in Pre-Kindergarten PL AC ES AND S PAC ES : Bright, engaging classrooms, lively playgrounds, and the immense resources of our 26-acre campus, including science and computer labs, theater, art gallery, butterfly garden, log cabin and more! E N R O L L MENT: Boys and girls aged three by September 1 may apply to our Junior Pre-Kindergarten program, while our Pre-Kindergarten program is open to boys and girls aged four by September 1.
DAILY SCHE DULE : Junior Pre-Kindergarten meets from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; Pre-Kindergarten meets from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. AFT E R-SCHOOL CARE : Kent Place Kids, the Primary School aftercare program at Kent Place School, is available to our preschool students until 6:00 p.m. on days when school is in session. PARE NT INVOLVE ME NT: Preschool parents, like all other Kent Place School parents, belong to the Parents’ Association and are welcome to join community-wide committees, such as the Primary School Book Fair, Grandparents and Special Friends Day, Family Fun Day and Spring Fling. Each classroom has parents serving as class representatives, as well as numerous opportunities for parents to assist during the school day. BE YOND T HE WALLS: With the resources of the entire Kent Place community at their fingertips, our preschoolers enjoy a rich and rigorous curriculum. STEM-focused field trips, guest speakers, campus walkabouts and regular interactions with our older students help contextualize preschoolers’ learning while fostering a solid sense of community.
ACADEMICS IN THE PRESCHOOL Our primary goal at the Preschool at Kent Place School is to instill in every child a deep and enduring love for learning. Using a “Learning through Play” approach, our Junior PreKindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten teachers tackle developmentally appropriate concepts in all subject areas—literacy, science, math, music, creative movement, art, world languages, physical education—encouraging our students to explore, problem-solve, interact with their environment and find their voices in the classroom.
2 The Preschool
Our teachers use stories, singing, movement and dramatic play to engage each child’s natural curiosity, develop motor skills and encourage language development, comprehension and selfexpression—helping students establish a sense of community while learning the routines of school. Kent Place boys and girls are setting up letter mats like a computer keyboard and jumping from letter to letter to spell their names, they’re using balance scales to compare the weight of glue sticks and crayons, they’re celebrating Chinese New Year and Cinco de Mayo to learn about different customs and cultures. They’re becoming the keen observers, careful listeners and ethical thinkers who will flourish throughout their school careers.
MEET OUR TEAM Our Preschool teachers are like no others you’ll find, anywhere. All experts in their fields, they recognize early just how each student learns and grows, shaping each child’s individual learning plan, recording important milestones and providing rigorous academic experiences infused with a sense of whimsy and fun. Thanks to our low student-teacher ratio, our teachers are able to spend portions of the day with small groups and provide each student with individual attention. They not only welcome but encourage parental involvement in classroom life— so be ready to share your interests and talents!
“THE WORLD LANGUAGES AND SCIENCE PROGRAMS DRIVE HOME THE SPECIALTY ASPECT OF KPS.” My daughter has come home singing songs in Spanish—and recognizes words or phrases if she hears them in conversation or on the radio. And the science journal the class keeps is extraordinary. My daughter can identify different plants and talk to you for 10 minutes about recycling and composting. JENNIFER COUNIHAN, Parent
The talented team guiding each Preschool class includes: Fully accredited, full-time teachers Language Arts coordinator Math coordinator Librarian Music teacher World Languages teachers (French and Spanish) Science specialist Physical Education teacher Creative Movement teacher
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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT What sets Kent Place apart is a focus on the whole child. While participating in Morning Meeting, putting on a puppet show, and mastering everyday tasks like clearing after lunch or snack, or packing their own bags, our students gain independence and learn to share and collaborate. By encouraging responsibility and cooperation and giving our boys and girls daily leadership opportunities—along with field trips, school-wide activities, gardening and outdoor play—we help them move steadily away from a life that exists only at home toward one that embraces the world. Our Preschool classrooms are thoughtfully designed—from the walls, furniture and lighting to the sensory table, reading loft, block area, Writing Center and more—to provide a safe, stimulating and comfortable learning environment for our youngest scholars. And outside the classroom the vast resources of our greater Kent Place campus await: not only its world-class facilities but also older students and respected faculty ready to mentor, play and nurture the bright, curious, well-rounded students for which we’re so widely known.
4 The Preschool
“KPS TEACHERS PLACE SUCH AN EMPHASIS ON EMPATHY AND KINDNESS.”
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF OUR PRESCHOOL The schedules in our Junior PreKindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten classrooms vary from week to week, but could include any combination of the following options: 8:45–9:00
Morning Meeting
9:00–10:00
Literacy, Listening, Handwriting Workbook
10:00–10:30
Creative Movement, Music, Choice Time, Snack
10:30–11:30
Art, Library, On-campus Field Trip
11:30–12:30
Lunch and Rest Time
12:30–1:00
World Language, Sharing, Outside Play
1:00–1:30
Social Studies, Gardening and Nature, Choice Time
1:30–2:00
Science, KPS Community, “Mystery Guest”
2:00–2:30
Story Time/Closing Circle
I’m constantly amazed by how Kent Place weaves ethics and thoughtfulness into the daily Preschool routine. Never before have I heard three- and fouryear-olds say so readily, “thank you,” “I’m sorry” or “are you OK?” I can’t help but think that together we’re creating not just good listeners and students but incredible little people. KATIE MACHIR, Parent
“THE TEACHERS MAKE SURE THESE KIDS ARE ALSO LEARNING LIFE SKILLS.” They’re zipping up their jackets, putting on their own shoes, even participating in a career fair, where they spoke in front of all the adults about what they wanted to be and do someday. That was a big deal. I was impressed. SUTAPA SAHAY, Parent
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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT We’re likely not the first to tell you that “kindergarten isn’t what it used to be.” Children are increasingly expected to enter primary school with literacy and numeracy skills—and the ability to handle myriad social challenges. And our parents report that the highly individualized, hands-on education provided at Kent Place has prepared their boys and girls to be good listeners, eager learners and confident leaders. Our Preschool girls are welcome to enter our Kindergarten program—and begin an all-girls’ education at Kent Place School—without reapplying. The boys in our Pre-Kindergarten class are supported with placement counseling throughout the kindergarten admissions process to help families find the best fit for the child.
“KENT PLACE ENCOURAGED OUR DAUGHTER TO BE THE VERY BEST VERSION OF HERSELF.” The curriculum isn’t “one size fits all,” so when my daughter mastered a particular task, her teachers would push her to go a little further. And when it was clear she was ready to read, the teachers began a guided reading group for her and several other children. My daughter’s focus and ability to work independently have made her transition to primary school incredibly smooth—and I credit that to her amazing Preschool teachers. TARA ZINNA, Parent 6 The Preschool
WHY KENT PLACE FOR BOYS? Both research and years of experience tell us that preschoolers haven’t yet begun to differentiate between classmates based on gender. There are no “boy games” or “girl toys,” just friendship, collaboration and learning. The Preschool’s coeducational program thus gives boys the opportunity to receive the extraordinary academic, social and emotional preparation for primary school that Kent Place provides.
“WHAT’S REMARKABLE TO ME ABOUT KENT PLACE IS HOW MUCH THEY INVOLVE PARENTS.” Our children often come home talking about not just their friends, but their friends’ parents, whoever had been in that day reading a story or making a craft or playing in the loft—their favorite thing in the world! It’s a welcoming, supportive environment built on camaraderie not just between the children and teachers but the entire family. D OUG SIEG, Parent
COME DISCOVER FOR YOURSELF If your child is ready for new friends, transformative experiences and remarkable discovery, please come discover the Kent Place difference for yourself. We offer myriad opportunities for you and your child to really get to know us. Through child-friendly open houses, experiential playbased information sessions, and relaxed, informal visits, you’ll meet our incredible teachers, tour our beautiful campus, and watch your brave and brilliant child experience our engaging Preschool program up close. To learn more about Kent Place and the admission process, visit www.kentplace.org.
“I’M INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE— KENT PLACE HAS BEEN MY FIRST, MY BEST, MY ENTIRE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE.” I can say without a doubt that the values imparted from preschool by Kent Place’s amazing teachers reflect the person I am today. As I prepare to graduate and pursue my passions, I know the friendships and core beliefs formed at Kent Place will endure a lifetime. MAKAYLA, Senior
OFFICE OF ADMISSION 4 2 N O RW O O D AV E N U E S U M M I T, N J 0 7 9 0 1 (908) 273-0900 admission@kentplace.org www.kentplace.org @kentplaceschool