Learning Circle Preschool Food Day Festival and Open House Friday October 27, 2017

Parents of young children are invited to join us at Learning Circle Preschool, 3 Blue Hill River Road, Canton MA, for activities planned as part of Food Day, the nationwide movement for more healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. Parents will be able to participate in outdoor activities with their children between 9:30 and 11 a.m.

In addition to Food Day activities, families interested in finding out more about the programs at Learning Circle Preschool are invited to take part in an Open House, beginning at 9 a.m. Families can meet staff, see the facilities and tour classrooms while the children are in session. Then they may join outdoor Food Day activities.

The goals of encouraging children to eat “real food” locally grown when possible, fit right into Food Day goals and Learning Circle Preschool’s use of the Early Sprouts curriculum, a “seed to table” gardening and nutrition curriculum first developed at Keene State College in New Hampshire. Components of the Early Sprouts curriculum address research that indicates young children are reluctant to try new foods unless they have multiple exposures that include a variety of experiences, including sensory exploration, tasting, and cooking. In a 24-week sequence of classroom activities using six common vegetables, children participate in sensory exploration, observations, and investigations of the vegetables and the plants from which they come. They help cook simple recipes at school, share them at snack, and then share those same recipes with their families at home.

On the 27th of October, learning centers will be set up on the school’s playground (weather permitting) between 9:30 at 11 am including gardening, arts, and science activities. The focus of each activity will be on healthy food choices, where food comes from, investigating the science of some familiar vegetables, and planting.

Learning Circle Preschool, accredited by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) offers two, three, or five day programs for children aged 2.9 - 7. Set at the foot of the Great Blue Hill, the facility houses three spacious classrooms and a state of the art playground in a natural setting. The school features a highly individualized, creative, and engaging curriculum that follows best practice guidelines developed by Massachusetts and the National Association of Educators of Young Children.

The Learning Circle’s kindergarten class accepts older pre-k children who are not yet eligible for a public school kindergarten but who may benefit developmentally from a transitional class, as well as children who will make the transition to first grade in the following year.

Learning Circle uses a project approach in curriculum development that is inspired by schools that developed in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Children enjoy engaging, hands on experiences that build a strong foundation for learning with individual attention and project work in small groups, respectful and nurturing interactions, opportunities to plan, reflect on, and work on projects over time, and an integrated arts and science curriculum.

Parents enjoy on-going communication, detailed documentation of each child’s growth and development shared in a portfolio system, newsletters and other written information about the program distributed regularly, parent meetings and discussion groups on educational and parenting issues, and a welcoming attitude towards parent participation in the program.

Class sizes typically range from 10-14 students, each with two highly qualified and experienced co-teachers. Decisions about placements for the fall of 2018 will begin to be made in December, and continue on a first come, first served basis.

For parents unable to attend the Food Day Festival and Open House on October 27, the school offers opportunities to visit its facilities individually. The visits, held during school hours, give parents and children a chance to meet with director Katrina Selawsky, to talk about each family’s specific needs, and to see the classrooms while children are in session.

Please call the Director, Katrina Selawsky at 781-828-4800 for more information or to arrange a tour of the facility. Parents may also contact the school by email (info@learningcirclepreschool.org) or visit the school’s website at www.learningcirclepreschool.org.