Preschool Program
Our preschool day balances structured and unstructured play, giving children opportunities to learn through exploration inside and outside the classroom. As a play-based program, we believe children learn best when they are actively engaged, curious, and can explore their environment.
Throughout the day, children participate in guided activities and open-ended play that encourage creativity, problem-solving, and independence. Indoor and outdoor exploration allows children to discover new interests, build confidence, and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them. Below, see our Preschool daily/weekly schedule. Each day, students enjoy:
NATURE EXPLORATION & OUTDOOR PLAY: Preschoolers enjoy exploring our beautiful 140-acre campus including the playground, mud kitchen, raised garden beds, campus farm, pond, woods, streams, and nature trails. Seasonal nature explorations include activities such as collecting and decorating fall leaves and pumpkins, planting and harvesting veggies, insect observations, tadpole-to-frog life cycle study, and more.
PLAY-BASED LEARNING: Various play center stations throughout the classroom provide opportunities for imaginative, dramatic, constructive, sensory, creative, and cooperative play.
WELLNESS, HEALTH, & CARE ROUTINES: Preschool at Sandy Spring provides healthy morning & afternoon snacks and a nutritious, hot lunch daily. Our teachers encourage good health and hygiene habits throughout the day.
INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING & KINDERGARTEN-READY PRACTICES: Children learn to establish social and classroom norms while participating in circle time, inquiry-based classroom activities, and hands-on projects that provide engaging opportunities to explore reading, writing, art, music, and math. Inquiry Foundations follows children’s questions, interests, and discoveries. Children also participate in the Quaker practice of sharing a brief moment of silence during Morning Meeting to practice stillness, listening, and reflection. This helps lay the foundation for attending Meeting for Worship in the Meeting House in Kindergarten.
PHYSICAL MOVEMENT & GROSS MOTOR SKILLS: Our Flex Space provides a safe area for children to climb, balance, push, toss, and build core muscle strength. Using scooters, tumbling mats, balance stones, balance beams, and a block area, children strengthen their core muscles while developing coordination, balance, and body awareness. With balls, hoops, and goals, they practice skills like throwing, catching, and aiming in fun and engaging ways. Students also use SSFS’s climbing wall during their PE climbing unit!
Other Preschool Curriculum Highlights
- Our play-based learning offers many opportunities throughout the day for children to explore with curiosity, creativity, and discovery both indoors and outdoors on our beautiful campus.
- Our program nurtures social-emotional development, helping children build confidence, empathy, communication skills, problem-solving skills, and positive relationships.
- We cultivate a lifelong love of school by creating joyful, safe, and engaging experiences where children are confident and eager to learn and explore.
- Preschool students participate in community service activities that help them foster compassion for their local community and develop a sense of responsibility, such as participation in Community Day and Our People, Our Planet Day.