Our Preschool and Kindergarten Program, certified by The Rhode Island Department of Education, offers curriculum challenges and prepares children for the first grade.
Our preschoolers are well prepared for a kindergarten program.
Our Toddler Program, certified by The Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families, offers challenging materials to prepare the children for preschool.
Non-competitive activities
allow each child to work at their own pace and build self-esteem with success.
Specific step-by-step lessons
are customized for each child to guide them to the next level.
Specialized Montessori Materials
are hands-on and designed to peek the interest of each child when they are ready to learn a specific skill.
Our structured school day has a specific routine, which helps the children know what is going to happen and what is expected of them.
Social interactions
are guided by the teachers, yet are child-directed so that the children become independent with decision-making and problem solving experiences.
Each child has an opportunity to share his or her educational interests with the group for show and tell.
We have school visitors such as local firemen and a fire truck.
Our movement and music teachers Ms. Karen Sacchetti and Ms. Anne-Marie Forer of Tunes-n-Tales, both visit our school once a month to share movement, stories, and songs that relate to the curriculum.
The Sandcastles book bag goes home with each child once a month so they can share a book from our classroom library with their family.
Our school day allows each child to become fully involved in the program without being overwhelmed.
Our monthly newsletter has a detailed account of our curriculum and special events.
Families
We have parent involvement in the form of parent meetings, individual parent/teacher conferences, parent observations, monthly classroom participation, special family gatherings, and fieldtrips.
Our parent library has informative DVD's, books, and articles describing the Montessori Method of education, how to incorporate the Montessori philosophy into the home, and ideas for parenting strategies.
There is a feeling of community as all the parents, children, and younger siblings begin to form friendships that reach outside of the school in the form of play dates and get-togethers.
Our 2, 3, and 5-day programs enable families to choose a program that allows time for all their other activities.
We invite relatives to our special gatherings and our field trips.
Our new flexible extended day carries over the Montessori philosophy, materials, and structure of our morning programs so parents can be sure their child is in a nurturing, loving setting if afternoon care is a need for their family.
Teachers
Open communication between parents and teachers is important at Sandcastles; parents are always able to talk with the teachers at arrival, dismissal, or at an arranged phone or meeting time.
Our professional teachers have a current Rhode Island Early Childhood Teacher certification, a four year bachelors of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education and in Elementary Education, Montessori training, knowledge of child development, many years of classroom experience, and a dedication to continued education through conferences, seminars, and workshops.
Our small class sizes enable the teachers to get to know you and your child on a personal level, giving the teachers an opportunity to work one on one with every child.
Our teachers are guides, modeling positive language, empathy, trust, and respect for all the members of the classroom.