Afternoon Program
Below are some frequently asked questions about our afternoon program. If you would be interested in talking to a teacher about this option, please contact WRNS at (585) 442-8340. Thank you!
What is the afternoon program?
Winton Road offers a 4-day afternoon program for potty-trained children who are four or five years old by December 1 of the school year. The afternoon program runs from Monday – Thursday from 12:30 to 3:30 and is taught by Leslie Ziegler and Patti Schwarz, whose biographies appear below. Our afternoon program is one of a limited number of afternoon pre-school programs in Rochester.
How is it different than the morning programs?
The class size is a maximum of 16 children, a size that allows the two teachers plenty of flexibility to group the children for small or large group activities. The children are older and more mature, and are able to focus on areas with more depth than in the morning programs. Because of the length of the program, teachers and children are able to forge a strong bond as they do hands-on learning, together.
Who are the teachers?
Patti Schwarz begins her fifth year as an afternoon teacher. She has worked in early childhood education since 1994 as a preschool teacher for the Family Resource Centers of Rochester and as a Team Leader for the Early Education programs with the same organization. Patti holds her Bachelors with emphasis in Business and Early Childhood Education from Old Dominion University, and her Masters in Early Childhood Education from Nazareth. Patty and her husband Steve have three children, Tim, Ally and Jessie.
Leslie Ziegler is an afternoon teacher and our Educational Director. This is her 9th year at WRNS. Leslie has a BS in Nursery-Kindergarten Education and a MA degree in Special Education from the University of Connecticut. Leslie is state certified to teach N-6 and special education K-12. Leslie’s family includes her husband, Carl and twin sons Eric and Robert.
What makes it special?
Past and present parents have raved about this program! Some comments from parents have included:
| “Since the kids attend four consecutive days, they can be introduced to a subject and revisit it for the week using various activities – this type of integrated approach is in synch with what primary schools teach.” | ||
| “Following a daily routine, daily interaction with their classmates – these experiences are great preparation for Kindergarten.” | ||
| “The program is filled with opportunities for a child to mature as they continue on their quest for knowledge.” | ||
| “This was one of the best school experiences my child has had so far; my son is still friends with the children he met, despite attending different schools.” | ||
| “The teachers were able to teach the kids the basics but in such a fun way they didn’t even know they were learning.” | ||
| “I just can’t say enough about that year for my child; it was a real boost in terms of his social skills and his self esteem.” | ||
| “The late start allowed me to spend the morning hours with my child, and school came at the perfect time when we were looking for something to do.” | ||
| “As a parent, I liked having afternoon time to run errands and volunteer at my older child’s school.” | ||
| “Smaller class size allowed for more interaction with teachers and increased access to all three classrooms and the playground.” |
What Is a Typical Day Like?
A typical day would be something like this:
| 12:30-1:15 | Greeting Time – Outside if possible – weather permitting |
| 1:15-1:40 | Circle Time – we talk about things going on in the children’s lives, look at the weather, explain art projects, sing songs, finger rhymes, play games, read books, etc. |
| 1:40-2:15 | Art Project & Free Time – at this time the children are encouraged to participate in our daily art project, and also have the option of choosing where and with what they wish to play. |
| 2:30-2:45 | Snack – Parents bring in healthy snacks for the children in the program on a rotating basis |
| 2:45-3:00 | Circle Time – reading, games, singing. |
| 3:00-3:30 | Outside play, weather permitting. |
| * These times are approximate and may be adjusted due to a variety of reasons, such as a more involved/complex art project or a special visitor. | |
What is WRNS’s Philosophy and Curriculum?
The Winton Road Nursery School provides time and materials for the child to learn through experimentation, manipulation, and observation. A child’s understanding of his/her immediate world is enlarged through concrete experiences that give meaning to concepts of size, shape, distance, and time. Exploration of everyday phenomena stimulates a child to ask questions, think for him/herself, and try out new ideas.
The child is encouraged to express him/herself creatively through song and dance, art media, and dramatic play. He/she develops skill using the body effectively in rhythmic response to music; in coordinating use of small muscles to cut, paste, and draw; and in role-playing. Acceptable means of expressing aggression may also be channeled through these outlets.
Climbing and balancing equipment are provided for the development and coordination of large muscles. Time is devoted to hopping, skipping, jumping, and exercising in general.
Emergent writing skills (i.e., drawing and scribbling, “pretend writing” and copying familiar letters or words) are encouraged through art and creative expression. Early literacy skills are developed through exposure to oral language and phonological awareness activities such as rhyming, story time and independent book reading.
Cognition is developed through everyday play experiences (i.e., matching or sorting by color/shape/function, identifying opposites, understanding basic time concepts, sequencing stories, and fantasy play). Language skills are fostered through play with toys and materials as well as conversations with peers and adults, as children incorporate new words into their expanding vocabularies, learn new songs introduced at circle time, and use social phrases.
Foundations are laid for good social relationships as a child learns that there are individual differences between people and that these differences are respected. Friendships with other children and adults are encouraged. Qualities of kindness and concern for all living things are developed.
A child is encouraged to develop methods to help him/herself. In becoming responsible and capably independent, a child learns to feel secure in being separated from his/her parent(s).
The goal of the nursery school curriculum is to help a child see him/herself as a worthwhile and separate person. To achieve this goal, the whole curriculum is greater than the sum of its parts.
