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 Our
Philosophy
“I believe that children thrive by doing and
experiencing. At Bell’s
Preschool we practice hands-on activities that encourage growth and
thought from our students.
Because of this we have minimal electronics on
site and instead incorporate interactive crafts and hands on activities
for our students.”
- Lorraine Bell
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Hands
On Learning
In our instruction we place a
strong emphasis on tasks that can be directly experienced through
the five senses since the ability to think in abstractions is only just beginning to
develop.
By experiencing tasks through tangible experiences the formation of concepts and abstractions is greatly enhanced and the senses stimulated.
The adjacent pictures provide an
example of this process:
In this project our students used basic raw materials (small tree
limbs, cloth, glue, etc.) to construct small sail boats.
Once their projects were completed we took them on a field trip to
a nearby pond so they could have first-hand experience of seeing
the branches of a tree transformed into a functional
sailboat. |
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Relaxed
Farm Setting
Our
unique, farm-like setting gives children the opportunity to
have experiences unlike any other daycare in Auburn.
Surrounded by cherry, apple, pomegranate, pear, and plum
trees we have the opportunity to teach the children about how
plants and fruit trees grow.
In autumn the children participate in harvesting the
fruit from the trees and they even get to experience making
applesauce by hand!
In addition
to fruit trees and gardens we also have several farm animals
including pigs, chickens and a horse. The children get to feed the animals and learn about the life
cycle in a variety of forms.
Our setting also affords the children the opportunity to
learn about recycling, composting and emphasizes the importance
of being environmentally conscious.
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Sleep Overs
Once a year
we have a sleep over for the school age children in mid August near the time of the Perseid
meteor shower. In
addition to watching meteorites and playing “Flashlight Tag”
the kids get to churn their own ice cream by hand.
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Share
Day
Every
week includes a day designated as “Share Day”.
During this event the student brings an item from home
and provides a brief presentation in front of the class about
it,
helping to develop their public speaking skills.
The
other students then have the opportunity to ask questions and
make comments. The
item is passed around the circle for everyone to see.
During playtime they are asked to take turns with the
other classmates playing with the object.
 In addition to
teaching patience and sharing we believe this activity helps teach children to
organize their ideas, present these ideas to their peers and
improve their overall communication skills.
Whenever
possible Lorraine Bell likes to be personally involved in Share Day as pictured
to the left.
 Summer
Activities
Some
additional activities that occur throughout the year include;
weekly trips to the A.R.D. pool in the summer, sack races,
obstacle courses, chalk murals, fuse beads, barbecues, library trips, water
balloon toss, puppet theater, toe drawing, and marble painting.
Bell’s
Preschool emphasizes learning activities that engage the
children,
physical activity, and a strong emphasis on sharing, teamwork
and mutual respect - on their birthday each
child is honored and celebrated.
We
believe that parents are the first and primary teachers to their
children. Together as partners with you we hope to nurture and
educate your child in a healthy and happy environment.
Lorraine
Bell founded Bell’s preschool and has personally operated it
since 1983. She is
certified in "Multiple Subject" teaching credentials
with special emphasis on early childhood development.
Lorraine is directly involved in the care of the children
on a daily basis.
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