Programs

Preschool

Preschoolers dig cooperation!Preschool

Preschool days are filled with games, songs, art, shared stories, dramatic play and hands-on activities that will form the basis of later academic achievement, independence and social development. Everything in the preschool, from the set-up of the room to the flow of the day, encourages children to explore their world, express themselves creatively, and learn to co-exist peacefully with peers.

Our preschool, licensed by the State of Vermont, participates in the state tuition assistance program. Two-day, three-day and five-day options are available.

Pre-Kindergarten

Unique to the Neighborhood Schoolhouse, this program is for young children who are ready for a more academic emphasis in their daily routine, but are not old enough for kindergarten. Students are admitted based on classroom readiness as well as age. This is a five-morning program.

Kindergarteners listen and read along.

Kindergarten

Our kindergarteners enjoy an exciting half-day program filled with social play time, physical challenges and early math and literacy activities. They work one on one daily with a dedicated literacy and writing specialist. The program is housed in a large, open space with the pre-K program, and the two groups share work times and units of study.

Primary & Elementary

A third-grader and a first-grader discuss cards for a game that combines spelling and fantasy play.

This multiage class is a true community of learners. Themes of study are both teacher-initiated and emergent from ideas that arise within the group. Students work independently at a variety of learning centers, share their writing and ideas with one another, and work together on cooperative projects small and large.

The day is structured to allow for student choice, with expectations clearly established and goals developed between individual students and teachers to help children become independent, lifelong learners.

At this age technology and media Literacy training begins as students begin to use cameras, software and computers for some of their school work. The school uses PCs, Macs and Edubuntu computers. We use  Google Apps for Education for document sharing, personal portfolios and other activities.

Before- & After-School Care

  • All ages
  • 7:30-8:30 a.m. and noon-4:30 p.m.

After-school care opens the way for gross-motor development.

The Before- and After-School Care programs extend the day for children of all ages, as needed. BSC and ASC offer valuable social and creative experiences for students, as well as support for gross motor needs with indoor and outdoor play time. Younger children enjoy a daily rest period at ASC.

These programs are available only on school days, and can be used on either a contract or a drop-inbasis.

Special Programs

In addition to regular learning time in the woods and gardens, classrooms and surrounding community, our students round out their education with special programs, including:

  • Field trips – Local farms are a favorite destination several times a year, and we arrange other field trips based on the year’s theme. We also do an off-site fall hike and spring hike each year, in addition to our frequent explorations in the woods behind the school.
  • Reading Buddies – Older children visit the elders at Holton Home each week to socialize and read stories together. These intergenerational activities brighten the seniors’ lives and broaden children’s understanding of and respect for others.

  • Children help with the harvest at a local farm.

    Environmental Education – Our respect for nature permeates everything we do, from the themes we study all the way down to our school compost heap. In addition, we set aside weekly trail time with an environmental educator who teaches woodland skills to children at all age levels.

  • Music – Children gather for all-school sing once a week, learning songs related to the seasons and the current curriculum. Music is integrated regularly into classroom life, and our music teacher visits each class weekly for dedicated musical education.
  • Physical Education – We offer a full physical education curriculum through the seasons, integrating social-emotional learning, environmental education, music and other aspects of our programming into the mix. Our unique social soccer program helps kids develop a healthy attitude toward cooperative team sports, including their strong emotions around winning and losing. Skiing, ice skating and visits to the rec center downtown, in addition to our work in the gardens, ample time on the playground, and explorations in the woods, keep students physically active all year round.
  • Parent-Led Programming – Each year, a few parents meet their requirement for service hours by offering a workshop in their area of professional expertise. Parent-led programs have included international folk dance, woodland survival, gymnastics, three-dimensional drawing, foreign language and many others.

Children peer into the Retreat ice pond during the all-school hike.