Junior Kindergarten
Older 4’s–Younger 5’s
Poko Loko offers a full or part-time Junior Kindergarten program. Ratios are kept low, one teacher per ten students for 4-year-olds and one teacher per twenty students for 5-year-olds. All meals are provided including breakfast, lunch and two nutritious snacks. Our Junior Kindergarten program is designed to prepare the students for the kindergarten year to come. The classroom activities center on promoting learning skills such as math readiness, reading readiness, and early phonics through the use of developmentally appropriate workbooks. Our teachers help the children to strengthen their school skills that will be needed; skills that include raising hands for help, and paying attention during lessons. We also help them to refine their social skills so that they will be able to interact well with others. Taking turns, sharing, and helping others is strongly encouraged. Monthly field trips as well as special musical and artistic performances are also included in our Junior Kindergarten program.
Daily Schedule
Half-day hours include 6:40 a.m.–12 noon; Full-day hours include 6:40 a.m.–5:00 pm
Early Morning—Student Arrival
(6:40 a.m.– 9:00 a.m.)
As parents drop off their child, a warm welcome awaits. Junior kindergarteners are free to explore and interact with the different areas of enrichment that each classroom offers including computers. Cereal and milk for breakfast will be offered at 8:00 a.m., and if the weather permits they will head outdoors to our playground for some social interaction and gross motor development.
Structured Learning
(9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)
Our junior kindergarten program begins each day with circle time. During this time children are acclimated to a school like routine and expected to participate in all activities. These activities will include daily art projects, as well as math, reading readiness, and phonics worksheets. This session is filled with many learning opportunities and concludes with circle time and a special theme related story read by the teacher. Every morning, a healthy snack is offered and outdoor playtime is allotted.
Afternoon
(11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
As noon approaches, the children grow hungry and tired. Our in house chef always prepares a meal that is both balanced and nutritious. After lunch, our junior kindergarteners nap on their individual cots for approximately 2 hours. Weather permitting, our junior kindergarteners are able to enjoy a little extra recess time before their nap.
Late Afternoon—Parent Pick Up
(2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
Every afternoon will begin with another healthy snack. Now that your child is older, we will reinforce our daily curriculum with an afternoon worksheet. When the worksheet is completed, 30 minutes of educational television is provided before the room is opened up to free play and social time. Outdoor play time is also available until your child is picked up.
Our Space
Information
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Our ratio for four-year-olds is one teacher per ten children and our ratio for five-year-olds is one teacher per twenty children.
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Periodically throughout the year children will move up to an older room. The children are usually eager for this move because they are going to a new room that is stimulating and exciting. Their curriculum is getting more challenging, and they will be encouraged to learn and try new things. To help with this change, Poko Loko will let the child visit the new room before she moves. Parents will also be informed of this move and will be asked to sign a Transition form.
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Our children take their naps on cots. Each child has his own cot with a blanket and sheet that is washed at least once a week. If two part-time children share a cot, the linens and cot are washed between uses.
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Poko Loko’s preschool program is scheduled every day from 9:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Every morning the children have their preschool activities; these include story time, circle time, music time, etc. Each child also completes a project; the projects include finger painting, easel painting, bingo markers, coloring, etc. Throughout the day, the children have structured play times; activities during these times include playing with small manipulatives, large manipulatives, dramatic play, reading books, etc. During the day the children eat breakfast, two snacks, and lunch together, and they all nap at the same time. Every month the parents receive the curriculum that their child’s class is following. The curriculum includes the special subjects the children are learning about and any special projects they will complete as well as our special songs, books, and activities.
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Poko Loko provides cereal and milk for breakfast for children who are at the center by 8:00 a.m. The children are fed a snack at about 10:00 a.m. and then again after naptime. Snacks may include fresh fruit, yogurt, cheese and crackers, etc., and milk or juice. Children are served a hot, nutritious, delicious lunch every day. Parents may take a copy of our monthly menu to see what we are serving. Please let your child’s teacher know if there is anything your child cannot have.
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Please leave a weather-appropriate outfit at the center in case we have to change your child for any reason. If your child has a special blanket that comforts him at naptime, please feel free to leave that with us also. Please label your child’s clothes and special articles with his name.