Fredericksburg Parent

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 13 www.FredericksburgParent.NET 3 are hur ng, recognize and manage their emo ons, take personal responsibility and discover the unique gi s, such as leadership, compassion, empathy and encouragement, that God has given them." Recognizing the unique scheduling needs of individual families and that children develop at their own pace, FCS has a variety of program op ons available, including two-, three- and five-day op ons for preschool and both full- and part- me days for kindergarten. For families who need extended care op ons, FCS also offers before- and a er-school care. To determine whether or not your child is ready for school and which program is best for him or her, Cooper recommends a multi-faceted approach. Physically: • Is he/she potty trained? • Able to appropriately feed themselves during snack and lunch time? • How do they do with crayons and scissors? Emotionally: • How do they do with separation from you? • Do they follow directions? • Take turns in conversation? • Have they learned how to make new friends? While not meeting one of these milestones doesn't disqualify a child from beginning school, these types of questions can help parents evaluate where a child is currently in their development. Cooper remarked that, at the end of the day, when parents are determining which school is right for a child, they should evaluate the overall experience, including safety, similar values, academics, emo onal and social development and a sense of community. When it comes to FCS' educa onal philosophy, Raines summed it up best: "At FCS, we view every child as an image-bearer of God, purposefully created and worthy of each educator's full a en on, care and effort. It is a beau ful gi to build meaningful rela onships with our youngest learners." One FCS preschool teacher elaborated, "Our preschoolers learn all their le ers and the sounds they make, even beginning to blend le ers and read simple words by the end of PreK4. For math, we focus on concepts like coun ng, pa erns and number recogni on to prepare them for the advanced math that will come as they con nue on in their educa on. As early as preschool, we even begin teaching science (weather, plant life cycle, animals), social studies (community helpers, our neighborhood) and Bible (focusing on a different story each week and memorizing scripture) as core subjects on an appropriate level." Once a child begins kindergarten, they con nue their core academic studies in subjects like reading and math but also explore special subjects, such as art, music, physical educa on (PE), computer studies and library me. Brodie Spivey, an FCS kindergar- ten teacher, described a typical kindergarten day as beginning with STEM toys to prac ce fine motor skills, daily pledges, prayer and calendar me. A erwards, children have Bible me, during which they learn a verse, sing songs and listen to a Bible story, before moving on to core and special subjects. Hands-on manipula- ves and games are central to the way subjects are taught, as Spivey noted, "Hands-on explora on makes learning seem like play." Echoing the importance of play-based learning, one preschool teacher said, "Learning through play in our preschool and kindergarten classes is cri cal. When preschoolers are being taught their le er of the week, exploring coun ng skills or discovering ideas related to science or the Bible, it's crucial that they get hands-on experience to make those concepts come to life. This can look like using Play-Doh to create le er shapes and pa erns, opening up a pumpkin to explore what's inside or even doing fun songs and dances as a class to help them memorize a Bible verse." As a Christ-centered school, a Chris an worldview is at the heart of FCS' whole-child approach to educa on. Heather Raines, an FCS kindergarten teacher, explained, "At FCS, we have two primary goals: to cul - vate Christ-like character and to pursue academic excellence in every student. Being anchored in Christ means that our teachers inten onally view each part of the school day through a Chris- an worldview. Academic growth is important, but it is only one part of a child's development. In an ordinary day, we have the privilege of teaching children how to pray for classmates who Ask the Expert Ask the Expert a sk t h e e x p e rt

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