Primary School (Preschool2 - K)
Laying the Foundation
The Preschool Building The Rushmore House
At Westfield Friends School, Grades PreK to 8th grade learn in the Main Building of our 8.5-acre campus. The Preschool programs are located in two buildings near today's Westfield Monthly Meeting Meeting House. The new Rushmore House holds the Preschool 3 program, and the Preschool 2 program is in the original Meeting House building, now named the Preschool Building.
At Westfield Friends School we believe that young children learn best through play. By playing, we build deeper relationships with ourselves, each other, and our school community. We set a foundation of lifelong learning by encouraging children to ask questions and challenge themselves. Our students foster a love of the natural world by adventuring through the playgrounds and the beautiful campus that surrounds us. We engage in conversations about how we are alike and different, celebrating the many cultures and backgrounds that make up our school family. Each week we have dedicated Music and Library times to provide varied, unique experiences. Curiosity guides our curricular themes as we explore topics that highlight our students' interests. As these studies emerge, teachers scaffold important academic and critical thinking skills that will prepare them for later school success.
In Preschool 2, our youngest learners begin their transition into Westfield Friends by following school routines to build comfort and familiarity. They learn how to be in a community together by focusing on being kind and safe. Our Preschool 3 students expand on this by building increased independence and self-efficacy. Between our two Preschool Buildings, we have an Art Studio and a STEAM Room which are utilized by small groups to engage in hands-on ways and push our learning further
In the PreK class, teachers act as guides to our students, providing multiple opportunities for growth in all areas of the academic curriculum, social skills, and self-confidence, helping the children to make sound choices as members of our school community. Each student in PreK has time with teachers to track individual progress in emerging literacy skills.
In Kindergarten our goal is to provide children with an education that develops their intellects and personality, transitioning them from the Pre-K world to a point where they can work more independently and function effectively in cooperative teams. We do this by making use of their natural desire to investigate, explore, and discover all there is to learn socially, emotionally, and academically.
Our primary school students are involved in multiple activities and thematic units of study. Our daily schedule consists of literacy and language arts, art, and music. A unique strength of our curriculum is the approach that we use to ensure that thematic units are integrated across every subject area, creating a richness of experience that our primary students love. Additionally, we have a major focus on literacy – the children work on emerging writing and reading skills every day. Kindergarten writing progresses so that students are able to write stories with beginnings, middles, and ends. We foster a love of books in our classes; we read books, we share books, we make books, and we talk about books.
