we recognizes the diversity of the student population

Howley School LLC follows The Creative Curriculum, which has been recommended by the Trenton Board of Education as the guide for Pre-Kindergarten. This curriculum recognizes the diversity of the student population. Therefore we also believe that developmentally appropriate suggested techniques and activities result in a realistic working guide to meet the needs of a multicultural student population. 

The curriculum provides general guidelines through goals and objectives for the teachers to follow. Please note this curriculum is not a manual for teachers but a guide, it merely provides the framework in which a teacher must develop his/her plans according to their students individual needs. At all times our curriculum will consider the development and learning style of each child as an individual. 

Our curriculum stresses hands-on child-initiated activities, which stimulate and encourage the development of language, cognitive, physical, emotional, and social skills. The curriculum is planned in advance and integrated in all areas of a child’s development. To help work through the curriculum, our classrooms will be divided into various learning centers. A learning center is an area in the classroom, which contains a collection of activities, and materials to teach, reinforce, and or enrich a skill or concept. These centers and activities help children develop a healthy self-concept and a feeling of accomplishment. Below are a list of some of the learning centers and the learning experiences they can but are not limited to.

SCIENCE/MATH
- Provides opportunities for a child to discover, explore, experiment, inquire, investigate, problem solve, and develop decision making skills
- Develop an awareness of the environment and human responsibility for its care
- Observe the properties of objects both living and non-living
- Develop and demonstrate an understanding of numbers
- Develop an understanding of patterns, relationships, and classification

ART
- Provides an opportunity for the child to express his feelings about him/herself, home, and community.
- Develop fine motor skills, which are a pre-requisite for printing and writing activities
- Help build a positive self-concept
- Plan and work independently to create their own representation of art
- Develop an understanding of color, texture, shapes

BLOCK AREA
- Develop social skills
- Increases child’s understanding of mathematical skills (size, shape, space, measurement, etc)
- Develops gross motor
- Increases child’s attention span
- Learn new vocabulary words such as: over, under, between, large, and small, etc.)

HOUSEKEEPING / DRAMATIC PLAY
- Develops social skills
- Learn acceptable social skills (sharing, taking turns, etc.)
- Development oral communication
- Help child learn about family and community helpers
- Help child learn that other people can think and feel differently about the same thing
- Learn about his/her own feelings and the world around them

LIBRARY
- Help children learn how to care for books
- Increase verbal skills
- Develop listening skills
- Increase attention span by listening and re-telling stories
- Develops orderly thinking (sequence of story)

TABLE TIME TOY AREA
- Provide an opportunity to use counting, matching, patterning, and classifying skills
- Help develop social skills (sharing and taking turns)
- Increases child’s mathematical vocabulary language arts skills and concepts
- Promotes and understanding of left-right direction
- Increases development of fine motor skills
- Increases hand-eye coordination
- Provides experiences in problem solving activities.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
- Helps promote the development of gross motor skills (running, jumping, climbing, etc.)
- To work with a group to achieve a common goal
- Fosters cooperative play
- Provides an opportunity to participate in science exploration and activities such as: planting a garden
- Promote social skills

COMPUTERS
- Help develop social skills
- Increase hand-eye coordination
- Develop fine motor skills
- Provides experiences in problem solving activities

PARENT/GUARDIAN CONFERENCES
Formal conferences are held twice a year. Developmental checklists and child portfolios will be discussed during those times, however, you are encouraged to speak with your child’s teacher any time you have a question or concern.

PARENT/GUARDIAN INVOLVEMENT
Howley School LLC encourages the participation of parents in the activities and operations of the school in the following areas:

PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY
Howley School LLC encourages the participation of parents in the activities and operations of the school in the following areas:

“Back to School” Night – Parents must attend an evening at the school to meet with the staff for the purpose of sharing goals, review the parent handbook, recommendations, and concerns. This event is held one evening early in the new school year preferably the last week of September or the first week of October.

Parent/Teacher Conferences - Formal conferences will be held twice a year. Progress reports will be discussed as well as developmental progress of each child according to developmentally appropriate checklists. However, parents are encouraged to speak to their child’s teacher at any time if there is a question or concern. 

Parent Bulletin Boards - Each classroom will display and maintain a parent board containing current events, information and articles of interest to the parents, daily activities, monthly events occurring in the classroom, and or a classroom calendar.

Parental Involvement - Parents are encouraged to share any special talents or interests. Parents may be asked to assist at special events. Parents are always welcome in the school anytime. 

Field Trips – Field Trips will be scheduled to various sites of interest, where parents are always welcomed as chaperones according to the availability and space permitted, and encouraged to attend with their child.

Individual Classroom Events – parents are always welcome at any event or social function held within their child’s classroom.

For more information about Howley School, contact us during business hours at (609) 394-3283
Howley School - Pre-School - 555 Second Street - Trenton, NJ 08611