April 15th Newsletter

Our New Home

I am so excited to announce the location of our school!  Heart Centered Multi-Age will be making Pleasant Street in Bristol its home starting May first.  After much consideration I decided that this location would best fit our needs.  A major component of HCMA is getting children out of the classroom and into the community.  Being right in town will allow us to easily access Minot Sleeper Library, utilize Kelley Park and participate in other community events.  Watch the school scrapbook section of our website for before and after pictures as we transform an open space into our classroom!  www.heartcenteredmultiage.com

September Themes and Outings.  

We will start the first week of school with a study of the monarch butterfly, complete with live caterpillars that we will watch progress through the lifecycle of an insect.  We will discover what qualities make an insect an insect and look at the monarch butterfly's habitat in a field. As the month progresses we will look at the adaptations that amazing insects posses and look at the cycles of nature and how insects are able to survive the seasons. Throughout the month we will have insects on the mind while on our hikes at Squam Lake, Paradise Point and Franklin Falls (Weather Permitting).

The second half of the month will find us looking at where we live, starting with the Earth, North America, the United States, New Hampshire and our town.  Speaking of our town, we will take a walking field trip to the Fire Station and talk with the firemen that keep our town safe.

We will conclude September by investigating the lifecycle of trees and apples.  A trip to Cardigan Mountain Orchard and a bit of pie making will be in order!

The Benefits of a Full Day of Kindergarten 

Full-day kindergarten allows children and teachers time to explore topics in depth, reduces the ratio of transition time to class time, provides for greater continuity of day-to-day activities, and provides an environment that favors a more developmentally appropriate approach to the curriculum. Recent research indicates that, compared with children in formal academically oriented programs, children in kindergarten programs that provided more child-initiated and informal activities rated their abilities significantly higher, had higher expectations for success on academic tasks, and were less dependent on adults for permission and approval (Stipek et al., 1995).

While our school is a multiage environment of children between the ages of 5 and 8, we understand the need of families for a quality full day Kindergarten program.  Many families are unable to provide transportation for their children in half day programs and others find it difficult to find quality care for their children before or after Kindergarten.  Kindergarten at HCMA is distinctly different than any other program in the area because children are enrolled in a program that matches their parents work schedules and are provided a quality learning experience delivered by a licensed and skilled teacher each and every day.  Some nursery schools and daycares offer Kindergarten programs.  These programs often are just 'spin offs' of a nursery school or daycare program, and are rarely delivered by experienced elementary educators. 

Kindergartners at HCMA spend their days learning with peers and older children, they are not just simply the older children among preschoolers.  Our approach to individualized learning will allow all of our children to soar and meet their full potential. 

Why Heart Centered?

Children learn best in a fun and exciting environment.  Learning to be honest, kind, and cooperative, but calm in one's own body are all lessons of the heart.  These basic beliefs set the tone for all daily interactions between students and teachers.  The early elementary years of a child's education should prepare them on not only for the academic challenges ahead, but also provide them with the tools to live socially adept and inwardly happy lives.

Heart Centered Multi-Age is Affordable!

HCMA offers one of the most affordable private school programs in the Lakes Region.  To put it in every day terms, after care for Kindergarteners traditionally cost 25 dollars per day.  When you break down tuition at HCMA, it works out to 30 dollars per day.  HCMA is open from 7 am to 5pm daily, eliminating the need for any additional care for your student.  Please visit our website www.heartcenteredmultiage.com for more information.  We look forward to hearing from you!