General Information

Preschool is an important part of Canyon Heights Academy. All core areas of our curriculum begin in Preschool and the subsequent grades will build upon the foundation laid in our preschool program. Students are divided into multiple, identical classrooms, and our current student:teacher ratio is 12:1.

Daily Schedule

8:15-8:30	Arrival
8:30-9:00	Outside play
9:00-9:30	Snack/Academic Circle
9:30-11:30	Work Time
11:30-12:00	Music/Spanish/Library
12:00-1:00	Lunch and Outside play * Half-day students go home at 12:30pm
1:00-1:45	Rest/Nap
1:45-3:00	Work time/Snack time
3:00-3:15	Dismissal

Extended Care
Before School Care is available from 7:30am and Extended Daycare is available until 6:00pm. Detailed information and arrangements for enrollment can be obtained from the front office.

Lunch
Students may bring their own lunch, or take advantage of School Caterers, our daily hot lunch provider.

Snacks
Snack is provided both in the morning and again in the afternoon. We serve a variety of foods, such as fruit, breads, cheese, and yogurt, etc.

Toilet Training
All children must be toilet trained by the time they enter preschool. This means they must be able to determine when they need to go to the bathroom and be able to express that need to a teacher. They should also be able to manage their clothing and toileting needs. The teachers are happy to help with difficult zippers, snaps, etc.

Birthday Celebrations
Birthday celebration is a time of quiet appreciation for each year the child has spent on the planet. The child has a chance to walk around a candle (representing the sun) while holding a globe in his/her hands. A brief outline of what he/she did for each year of his/her life will allow the teacher to describe the child’s life as he/she walks. Parents are encouraged and welcome to participate in the celebration. If a family chooses, a book may be donated to the class in the child’s name. For those children who have summer birthdays, celebrations will be held toward the end of the school year.

Child of the Week
We celebrate each child as our “Child of the Week” for one whole week during the year. During the chosen week, your child may bring his/her favorite family photos glued on a poster board which will be displayed on our class bulletin board. During circle time that week, we will sing a special song to that child and give him/her time to tell us about the pictures. At the end of the week, we will spend a circle time getting to know your child’s favorite things (i.e. pets, toys, jobs, movies, etc.). This is a wonderful opportunity to practice public speaking skills at an early age.

Parent Participation
Parent involvement is highly valued, reaffirming the conviction that parents are the first and most important educators of their children. Parents are encouraged to participate in their child’s school life at CHA in many different ways.

Discipline
The purpose of discipline is to promote the virtues we talk about in the classroom and to ensure the safety of the children by promoting positive interactions and helping the children to develop their self-control, empathy and cooperation. By providing an appropriate environment with a high level of positive reinforcement, we encourage age appropriate behavior. Logical consequences, keeping in mind the child’s age, personality, circumstances, and level of understanding, will be used to fit individual situations which require discipline.