Creativity School

BHSA Creativity School Program Guide 2009

Note: the *asterisk indicates a once a week class that you may choose as part of your child’s pre-school schedule. Please refer to the current schedule for days and times they are available.

Play

Children experience their most profound development as they play. And just as important as the play itself is the opportunity to play as freely as possible. In the Creativity School classroom, our playthings are designed to promote this kind of imaginative experience. Our classroom is beautiful and unique with handmade and natural playthings that can take each child on countless adventures from dressing up like a fearless knight, to setting the table for a surprise party, to building an entire city out of wooden blocks. There are puzzles to solve, railroads to build and plays to perform, there are babies to care for, homes to tend and even a rainbow house where friends can gather. Our outdoor play continues the imaginative theme, as the children are encouraged to explore their own creative ideas and the world around them.

Earthways

This activity is about connecting with our environment. From planting, measuring the growth of the seedlings, or recording changes in the garden to observing changes in the weather, the state of the trees or the creatures in their natural habitats, we follow the processes of environmental science.

Cooperative Learning and Kindergarten Readiness

In today’s world children are often hurried into the abstract concepts of academia too soon. Our focus on cooperative learning and school preparation takes a tangible, creative and encouraging form. Through story, games and discovery, children exercise their curiosity. We help them prepare for kindergarten by developing their listening, cooperation, patience, and participation skills as well as giving them a strong start to the language arts, mathematics, and sciences. We strive to prepare them for a life of learning and discovery.

Open-ended Art

Art is an essential part of building a strong foundation for learning. Children are encouraged to use their own imaginations to create with paint, glue, scissors, paper, yarn, magazine cuttings, crayons, dough, markers and pencils. These open-ended activities foster the development of fine motor skills, concentration, creativity and independence.

*Painting

This pre-school art class gives special focus to wet on wet watercolor painting where children explore and discover magical qualities of color. We also enjoy painting with tempera and learn how to fill the space with our own ideas. Through guided imagery and free imagination we teach them to use the materials and encourage their own creativity. During this class the students create real works of art that will be treasured for years to come.

*Sculpting

Using natural materials like clay, salt ceramics dough and beeswax, children sculpt and form their ideas into shape. Just working their hands in the various substances brings benefits for fine motor skills and sensory development. Concentration skills are nurtured as well as creativity and they will often bring home a masterpiece to proudly display.

Circle Time

This is a special time to come together every morning, welcome each other and enjoy learning active verses, songs and finger plays that connect us to seasonal life. We use our mind and make it strong as well as our whole body to participate in circle. At the close of circle time we remember our agreements to use: golden words, gentle hands, listening ears, walking feet, and loving hearts. Then hand in hand we sing our song of good cheer.

End of circle song:
The circle is open, but unbroken, May the peace of our garden be forever in our hearts. Merry have we met and merry have we been. Merry shall we part and merry meet again.

Handwork

Attention to the development of fine motor skills is given during handwork. Twisting, sewing, weaving and stringing in a variety of textures are wonderful ways to engage hands, minds and hearts in quiet activity.

*Music

Is there anything sweeter than children’s voices raised in song? To live piano or guitar accompaniment we learn to sing a variety of songs that reflect seasonal life, festivals and cultures as well as songs that inspire beauty, joy and compassion. During music class we also introduce the concepts of rhythm, time signatures, and the correlation to the notes on the page and those being sung and played. Children also enjoy creating their own lyrics, playing a variety of simple rhythm instruments and moving to the music as well.

Story Time

Children who love to read have a distinct advantage in all aspects of their lives. It is not necessary to teach the pre-school age child to read, but igniting the desire is crucial. Many opportunities are provided daily for the children to sit with books and "read." As they study the pictures and invent the story for themselves they set the foundation for reading. Children listen to stories told or read by their teacher allowing their minds to wander to far off lands where everything is believable. Children learn to use their own cognitive and creative powers when engaged in the storyteller’s world. Their listening skills are honed as they prepare to become avid readers. This is a truly magical time, for in the quiet of a story can new understanding take place in soul of a child.

*Creative Movement

Creativity abounds as children explore their own sense of movement. Guided by the singer or free to interpret the music for themselves, they might be clouds floating, birds soaring or frogs leaping. They might use ballet feet, skating feet or feet with cleats. The elephants may stomp and the raindrops may tip toe ever so softly during this essential activity of pure self –expression brought on by a profound relationship to the music.

*Creative Dance

In this class children are introduced to ballet and tap as an artistic expression. Using creative and developmentally appropriate practices the teacher guides the class through a simple structure, introduces basic dance terminology and the learning of simple, fun routines that they can perform in the BHSA dance recital.

*Creative Drama

Putting on short plays, imagination games, creating scenes from their own imagination or from dearly loved stories, draping themselves in colorful silks or improvising to live musical accompaniment are all part of this expressive activity. This is a wonderful way to build confidence and artistic expression while enjoying the art of make-believe.

*Gym

This is a great activity for building gross motor skills and strengthening large muscle groups. We practice balance, agility and memorization. As the children travel down the tumbling mat they experience a great deal of accomplishment and pride. Trying new skills like cartwheels, handstands, and tuck forward rolls provides a feeling of confidence and excitement.

About Religion, Media and Bias

BHSA Creativity School is a non-sectarian program with no specific religious affiliation. We strive to provide an environment free from the commercialization of childhood and free from the many biases that the media thrusts upon our children during these formative, magical and tender years. We believe there is no such thing as “boys” and “girls” colors, toys, activities or talents. Regardless of religious beliefs, political views or personal preferences our doors are welcome to all so that everyone may share, learn and celebrate family and community. We believe that cooperative and sustainable living practices will honor our future. Our children are the teachers, healers, and leaders; they are the artists, the builders, the mothers and fathers of tomorrow. Within each of them lives the seed of peace and that is a gift to be treasured.

Please feel free to call or email me with any questions you may have. My door is always open.

Sincerely,

Sage Hambright