Nathalie B. Hammond Preschool

“PLAY IS THE WORK OF CHILDREN”

OUR HISTORY

The Nathalie B. Hammond Preschool located in the Pike Creek area of Wilmington, Delaware, began in 1970 as the Polly Drummond Nursery and Preschool under the direction of it’s founder Mrs. Nathalie Hammond. At that time it was housed in the White Clay Creek Presbyterian Church on Polly Drummond Hill Road in Newark. Mrs. Hammond passed away in 1988 and the school was renamed in her honor. In 1991 the preschool moved to it’s present location in the Skyline United Methodist Church. In September 2010, we celebrated 40 years serving the community. We are also very proud of our 40 year membership in the Nursery-Kindergarten Association of Delaware (NKAD) and we are licensed in the state of Delaware for early learning centers.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

The expression “PLAY IS THE WORK OF CHILDREN” is the cornerstone of our philosophy. We provide a program where a child is nurtured and challenged to develop as a whole individual. A good self-esteem is so important in a growing child. When a child feels good about him/herself, they then are free to experience the joys of being a child and doing what they do best.

With the expertise of degree teachers (and CPR/First Aid certified), your child will develop intellectually, creatively, physically, socially and emotionally in our preschool program. We want to give every child the opportunity to attend our preschool. We encourage diversity. No child is denied admission because of color, race, or religious affiliation.

OUR GOALS

The following goals are the foundation of our preschool program. We want each child to:

1. feel good about him/herself
2. acclimate to a group setting
3. follow rules for classroom behavior as well as to follow simple safety rules in and out of school
4. develop a love of learning
5. finish a task that is started and to feel good about what is done
6. develop the readiness skills necessary to succeed in school
7. enjoy school and to have fun
8. develop coping skills necessary when dealing with simple change
9. develop problem solving skills
10. respect the rights of others and to stand up for one’s own rights
11. use words first when meeting with conflict
12. know that it is all right to make mistakes, that we can learn from them
13. develop self-help skills to become independent in the classroom and at home

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Socialization is our primary goal. Our purpose is to help the child make a successful transition from home to school and to acclimate to a group setting. Through a variety of activities such as playing games, meeting other children and adults, and going on field trips, a child has the opportunity to learn about him/herself and to relate to others his/her own age. These activities enrich his/her life while supplementing and complimenting his/her home and family life.

Each child is an individual. By virtue of his/her uniqueness, he/she learns, grows, and develops differently when compared to other children of the same age. Because of these differences, we are concerned that the child develops a good self-image. This is accomplished through praise and lots of love. The child is encouraged but never pressured. Through guidance and positive reinforcement, the child will feel good about what he/she can do. At the same time, learning to deal with failure is important, too. A child must learn that it is okay to make mistakes and to look at it as an experience from which to grow.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Our school provides both indoor and outdoor play with space and equipment that may not be available at home. Special attention is aimed at the development of large and small motor skills. These skills are developed through structured games and activities.

The large motor skills become stronger when children climb, jump, run, and hop. The children have outdoor playtime with access to play equipment everyday unless the weather prohibits it. The children also participate in our Physical Development/Gym program where the emphasis is on cooperative games, obstacle courses, and appropriate movement activities. This is a development approach where a variety of activities are experienced by all the children.

The fine motor skills are developed through cutting with scissors, building with small blocks, playing with small puzzles, play dough, and using other manipulatives to exercise the smaller muscles.

INTELLECTUAL AND CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Children learn through firsthand experiences and many hands-on activities that are provided by our experienced staff. A structured day that includes: music (a certified preschool music educator teaches twice a week), free play, art, games, role playing, creative movement, story time, circle time, and outside/inside playtime are a very important part of a preschooler’s day.

We believe a child should make his own creations and be given the opportunity to experiment with different art media. During free play and work time, the children do a variety of art activities (both open-ended as well as directed) where they complete a task at their own pace and at their own level of ability. They are praised and encourage in everything they do. We want children to feel good about what they paint, build, or draw. After all, they are only children and this is the time to allow them the freedom to be children. Their fine motor skills need time to develop so they may later do the copying that is necessary to print the numbers and the letters of the alphabet.

We do not pressure children to perform when they are not ready. From dressing up to playing house, from building bridges to rocketing to the moon, a child’s imagination knows no bounds. We want to cultivate that imagination.

HOURS

The preschool classes are from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
The toddler class is dismissed at 11:45 p.m. after their lunch.
Every Wednesday is a lunch day for the 3-day and 5-day pre-k with a 12:30 p.m. dismissal.

Kids’ Club is offered after school on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

SAMPLE MORNING PROGRAM

This schedule shows a typical day.  The school day is three hours long.  The amount of time devoted to different activities may change on field trip days.

Free Play
At the start of the day the children are free to choose games, puzzles, play dough, painting, housekeeping, dress-ups, blocks, table manipulatives, or just enjoy chatting and visiting with each other.
Circle Time
The children group on the rug for calendar, weather, stories, songs, science, and discussion of basic concepts and themes.
Music
Each class has a separate music period which includes singing, rhythm instruments, marching, musical games, and role playing.  A music teacher instructs the children.
Outside Play
The children play outside on our fully equipped playground.  If it is raining, the children participate in creative movement, exercises, dancing, or cooperative games in the big room.
Bathroom, Snack, Booktime
All children are taken to the bathroom and encouraged to develop good hygiene habits.  Snacks include crackers, pretzels, fruits, vegetables, peanut butter, and cheese.  We encourage healthy eating habits and table manners.
During this break the children can choose a book to enjoy at their leisure.  We show children how to handle books with respect.
Worktime
During work time the children are given directed and open ended art activities using a variety of materials and media.  We encourage creativity and good working habits.
Storytime
Story read by the teacher based on the week’s theme.
Creative Movement
Each class has a separate gym period once a week.  The children participate in exercises, cooperative games, and movement activities.  The emphasis is on balance, flexibility, body awareness and just plain fun.

CURRICULUM

The cornerstone of our program is a developmental curriculum.  Thirdteen domains are emphasized.
The classroom teacher includes five or more domains in each lesson plan every day.  Each teacher posts the lesson plans for the week outside her door.  The domains are identified as follows:

A. Art
B. Large Motor/Muscle: easel painting, outside play, gym
C. Small Motor/Muscle: small manipulatives, playdough, cutting
D. Music
E. Dramatic Play
F. Science
G. Sensory Activities: water, sand, rice, etc.
H. Cooking
I. Language Arts: story time, flannel board, role playing
J. Group Games
K. Math
L. Social Studies
M. Social Skills