Bright Beginnings offers children opportunities for imaginative play. Children engage each other in pretend play in our playhouse that changes each month! For example, the children have experienced a castle, post office, school room, dinosaur museum, and a market place just to name a few!
During our free play the children have the opportunity
to utilize writing skills, pretend play, math skills, and to explore
geography, science, and literature! We have completely changed the
classroom and its curriculum this year! It’s a Reggio based curriculum with
a Montessori influence with the traditional ABC and 123’s!
Bright Beginnings offers families the ability to be involved at every level. Since you own and operate the preschool you have the ability to voice your ideas and promote the program to the highest quality! It’s also a great place to meet other parents and form life long friendships for you and your children. The benefits of parent involvement in any level of education are immeasurable, and we are blessed with being a co-operative preschool!
During our “Community Helpers
Project” parents made the hospital and we had two parents come in and
talk with the children, one was a nurse and one a police officer! 
Science & Math
Science projects related to our “AIR PROJECT.”
Science and math are a big part of our program. We have
both a science center and math center that we continually change throughout
the year. The children have the ability to explore these areas and
as parents and teachers we are there to help the children use the materials
properly and learn from them. With this in mind we observe the children and
document their interests and enhance their learning by asking questions and
posing ideas. We try to let the children learn from each other as well and
building on their own knowledge.
Science &
Math are naturally interesting to children and we only need to offer the
right tools to see their abilities, and understandings grow!
Children learn
through play, investigation and imagination!
Art is an essential part of the Program:
Not only is center time an important part of our day at Bright Beginnings, we are very art based. We have a separate art room that the children manipulate clay, painting, drawing, lacing, cutting, and all kinds of creative art projects! We believe that children’s creativity should be allowed to be expressed through their art. Art is an essential part of early writing skills. We provide art experiences daily! We use art to express and learn from the topic that we are learning about. For example if we were learning about dinosaurs we would support our interest and investigation on the topic by researching a dinosaur, drawing it, painting it, and possibly creating it into a three dimensional project. Topics can touch every aspect of life at preschool, from building a castle in the block area to pretending in the playhouse to reading about how castles are built in the library to singing songs and playing rhyming games! We infuse the preschool with the topic and the children can learn on every level of play!
Computers The Bright Beginnings Executive Board allotted funds to
purchase new computers for the students of Bright Beginnings. The children
utilize these in the morning before class begins and they are often open
during free play. The children are encouraged not to spend more than 15
minutes a day on the computers. This has been a great asset to our program.
Our New Computers 2006-07 School Year
Hand in Hand with St.
Mark’s Lutheran Church
The Children at Bright Beginnings have an added benefit due
to our affiliation with St. Mark’s. The children attend chapel once a week.
During this time the children get introduced to many bible readings and topics
that the pastor, education director, music director, or puppeteers explain to
the children in a very creative, child friendly way. Chapel is full of music,
prayer, and thoughtfulness. It’s a great way to encourage children to love and
respect others and to spread love and kindness to others. We also benefit from
the fantastic programs the church offers and the facility that the church
provides. The classrooms were built for preschoolers, with small tables,
chairs, sinks, and toilets. We utilize the gymnasium, the kitchen for special
projects, the meeting rooms, the stage and all the technical equipment that
goes with it! We have a wonderful Christmas program and hold our graduation on
stage! We have a wonderful side yard to use to run and play games throughout
the year as well! The affiliation with the St. Mark’s also saves us financially
on our budget because we do not pay rent and in turn this helps keep the
tuition cost lower for families.
Puppet Show at Chapel Time
Special Days at Bright Beginnings
The children are given a special day were they get to design their own birthday cake. In case the child has a summer birthday we do ˝ birthdays! The child gets to be center stage that day and we talk about the cake they built and sing songs, and they receive a small gift! The children may bring in a special snack and their parent also works that day, so you get to participate in the festivities!
Literacy
Development
We have a center to promote early literacy development as well as a small children’s library and a writing center. The children are encouraged to choose items from these centers daily and rotate between all the centers during free play.
Music and Movement
Music is very important to our program. We often play Mozart, Bach, Teleman, George Winston, and other styles of music while the children come in each morning, or are playing or creating art. We also sing a morning song, with voice and signing, and a goodbye song. We learn songs for special programs and holidays, along with utilizing our musical instruments. This year we got to go see a string quartet at the Wood County Library!
The children often get to dance, and run and do gross motor activities! We use a climber, balance beam, bean bags, balls, steamers and mats to tumble on! The gym is a fantastic asset to our program, especially in the winter! The children love to run and play with the parachute in the gymnasium!
There are so many great things about Bright Beginnings that you just have to come see for yourself! Call
us today for a private tour of our facility or stop by.