Our Programs
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Curriculum
Children are actively engaged in the learning process. The curriculum integrates the needs, interest, and learning of the whole child with a variety of multi-sensory activities which are guided by key experiences in language, literacy, mathematics and science, social-emotional development & physical development & the creative arts.
Children make choices, carry out plans and recall learning in a supportive environment that promotes initiative and independence. Throughout the day, children participate in individual, small and large group activities. We offer a balanced curriculum: quiet and active; academic and social; indoors and outdoors.
Our teachers look forward to working with families on furthering each child’s development. We want all children:
- to become competent in the care and management of their bodies acquiring both large and small muscle skills.
- to become competent in social interaction with both adults and children: functioning successfully as part of a group, learning mutual respect and cooperation
- to become competent in developing relationships of trust, independence, initiative and self-esteem.
- to become competent in thinking for themselves, reasoning, generating ideas, approaching new intellectual challenges and using language effectively.
- to become competent in representing ideas and dealings through pretend play, drama, creative movement, music, art and construction: demonstrating creativity and imagination.
To achieve these goals, we follow the organized scope and sequence of the HighScope Curriculum. The content of learning is guided by key developmental indicators (KDIs). The HighScope curriculum components and assessment (Child Observation Record) have been aligned with NAEYC criteria (National Association for the Education of Young Children) and NJ Core Curriculum Standards, and the NJ Preschool Teaching & Learning Expectations Standards of Quality.
Infants & Toddlers
The first three years of life are extraordinarily important for cognitive and emotional development and for language acquisition. Babies and toddlers need an environment in which they receive nurturing, responsive care and sensitive language interactions from adults who know them well and who provide a safe, healthy world for them to explore.
THE INFANT PROGRAM (non-mobile) is designed to stimulate and nurture within a carefully prepared physical environment that focuses on trust, happiness, safety, sanitation and the continuity of care. Most of their learning involves developing senses and motor skills. Touch reassures infants that they are safe and not alone. An infant needs lots of holding, snuggling, touching and patting that provides trust and security. Movement is essential to development. The infant’s awake time is spent on the floor with a responsive teacher encouraging reaching, grasping, holding and learning to move in many ways. Babies are sensitive to tones and feelings expressed through the language of the adults who care for them. The give-and- take of language interactions from the teachers who know them well connects babies to the world while providing a consistent routine that creates a warm, reassuring setting, yet flexible enough to respond to individual needs, interests, and strengths.
TODDLERS (mobile) are developing a sense of autonomy. They organize the world according to their own logic. They need to be able to see, touch, feel, smell, move and taste the world as they actively explore. Teachers support the individuality of each child by giving choices, asking questions and introducing each child to social guidelines while providing safe boundaries. Teachers provide more encouragement than direction, more exploration than restriction to support the developing sense of self. Teachers talk, play, and work alongside children observing development, identifying strengths and interests. Most group activities for toddlers happen spontaneously, a teachable moment, when children come together on their own.
A primary caregiver system ensures that every child has a special person and that person becomes an expert on the child, an advocate, and a coordinator of the child and parent experience. Primary does not mean exclusive. Other staff develop a warm relationship with the child and have learning interactions and routine care experiences such as diapering / toileting, or mealtime experiences.
Teachers are guided by High Scope’s Key Developmental Indicators (KDIs) which form the curriculum content for infants and toddlers. The KDIs provide a composite picture of what very young children do and what knowledge and abilities emerge from their actions. Learning becomes visible through regular observing, documenting and displaying of the efforts of individual children.
Parents are welcomed as the expert on their child and as partners in sharing their child’s emerging interests, needs, and strengths. Parents are encouraged to contribute, make suggestions, and have influence over their child’s care. Infant and toddler programs are offered in school day (9-3) and full day schedules (up to 9 hours), along with a tenth-hour option.
Twos' Classrooms - Terrific Twos & Transitional Twos
TWOS are mobile, autonomous, social, verbal, with constant urges to test and experiment. They construct knowledge through interactions with materials, people, events and ideas. A new phase of cognitive growth is developing in which mental representations of the real world are developing through their play. Teachers expand sensory exploration into a more complex meaningful experience with textures, colors, sounds, weight, uses and other qualities. The teacher supports children’s learning with their interactions, interventions and language. Every experience is a learning experience including routine mealtimes, diapering, toileting and washing up. The teacher serves as facilitator for High Scope’s key developmental indicators which forms the basis for active learning.
TERRIFIC TWOS is the classroom for younger children closer to their second birthday. TRANSITIONAL TWOS is the classroom offered for older two-year-olds. School day (9-3) and full day schedules (up to 9 hours) are available for the Terrific Twos and Transitional Twos, along with an optional tenth hour.
Preschool
PRESCHOOL PROGRAM encourages learning by doing. Children’s interests and choices are at the heart of the High Scope curriculum integrating the needs, interests and learning of the whole child with multi-sensory activities which are guided by Key Developmental Indicators (KDIs). Teachers arrange the physical environment to promote exploration and cooperative play. Our skilled staff plan activities that balance between active and quiet, indoor and outdoor, group and individual. Play and developmentally appropriate activities are designed to stimulate and sustain emerging skills. Teachers support and extend children’s learning by adding materials that reflect their current interests and home culture. Teachers further support social development by helping children learn how to resolve interpersonal conflicts. Teachers individualize for the variations in development that occur in children’s learning. The Key Developmental Indicators for understanding and supporting children’s learning includes: Approaches to learning, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Health, Language, Literacy and Communication, Mathematics, Creative Arts, Science and Technology and Social Studies.
This classroom engages children age 3 and 4. Children must be 3 by October 1st and be potty-trained. Half day (2 ½ hours), school day (9-3), full day (up to 9 hours) or extended day (up to 10 hours) programs available.
Pre-Kindergarten
PRE-KINDERGARTEN expands on age-appropriate skills, concepts and content for ages four and five. Children make plans, follow through on their intentions and recall learning in a supportive environment that promotes initiative, independence and play. Throughout the day children participate in individual, small group and large group activities. Teachers balance activities between active and quiet, social and academic, indoors and outdoors. An emphasis on literacy development includes: recognizing letters, letter-sound relationships, rhyme and alliteration awareness, approaches to writing and math concepts that explore number, operations, prediction, measurement, patterns, geometry and graphs. Key Developmental Indicators (KDIs) form the curriculum content that defines the knowledge children are acquiring. Teachers document and keep parents informed about each child’s development by creating portfolios that highlight and evaluate the child’s work and play.
This classroom engages children age 4 and 5. Children must be 4 by October 1st & Potty-Trained to enroll in a Pre-Kindergarten Classroom. Half day (2 ½ hours), school day (9-3), full day (up to 9 hours) and extended day (up to 10 hours) programs available.
School Age Before and After Care Program
For a small number of families who need care for Kindergarten through 2nd grade elementary school children, we offer morning care until Toms River Schools buses pick up here at Beachwood Nursery School for local elementary schools--as well as afternoon care between the time school buses drop off and parents come to the nursery school for pick up. Parents are responsible for making the bus arrangements with Toms River Schools Transportation during the summer before the beginning of the school year.
To Register
Visit the Registration Page to learn more about registering for the current and upcoming school year; for summer program registration, please see the Summer Program section below.
Summer Camp Program at Beachwood Nursery School
Part-day, School-day and Full-day Summer Camp Programs
for Infants (Starting at 8 Weeks) through Graduating 2nd Graders (Age 8)
2025 Summer Dates TBD
7:30 am – 4:30 pm
Get ready for summer fun in Beachwood Nursery School's summer programs. We offer caring, supportive teachers who also teach our regular school-year program, and provide a wide variety of engaging activities: Learning through play, learning centers, outdoor play, story time, music and movement, splash days, open-ended art experiences and more. Caring teachers and small class sizes encourage children to build friendships, independent skills and creativity while having fun in a safe, clean environment.
PART-DAY, FULL-DAY or EXTENDED-DAY SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM
Choose any three weeks to enroll for summer. Camp hours are 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, depending on which schedule you choose, Monday to Friday.
Summer program options include a 8:45 am-3:00 pm "School-day" schedule, or a 9-hour "Full-day" schedule--up to 9 hours inside 7:30 am start and 4:30 pm close; for Preschool through School Age/2nd Grade, a "Part-day" schedule 8:45 am-12:15 pm is also offered.
- Summer Hours: 7:30 am-4:30 pm.
- Must register for a minimum of 2 days per week for 3 weeks for the Summer Program.
- Summer Tuition: 2 payments are due 6/15 and 7/15. *Note: There are no tuition credits given for absences, vacation or illness.
- Summer Registration Fee: $75 per child. Registration fees are non-refundable and due at time of registration.
Summer Weeks - Choose from these 10 weeks in Summer 2024
Week 1: June 17 - 21 Week 2: June 24 - 28 Week 3: July 1 - July 3* (*Closed Thu. 7/4 & Fri 7/5)
Week 4: July 8 - 12 Week 5: July 15 - 19 Week 6: July 22 - 26
Week 7: July 29 - Aug 2 Week 8: August 5 - 9 Week 9: August 12 - 16 Week 10: August 19 - 23
DAILY ACTIVITIES & SCHEDULE
Small group projects and activities focus on exploring summer themes such as the beach, ocean animals, insects and more.
During the summer, Tuesdays and Fridays are Splash Days! Sprinklers, hoses, water balloons on the playgrounds make splash days wet and fun.
SUMMER CAMP 2024 RATES & REGISTRATION
SUMMER REGISTRATION UPDATE:
Some days/weeks in the Preschool and Pre-K classrooms are fully booked; please call 732-244-1550 or send us a message via Contact Page or send an email with your request for classroom/days/weeks so that we provide you up-to-date availability.
FOR FAMILIES NEW TO BEACHWOOD NURSERY SCHOOL
The registration process takes place online--you'll input your information and request for classroom, days and weeks; if we have a spot available, we will let you know to proceed to the last step to complete registration and pay the summer registration fee. Please see summer program flier for registration QR code link or Link to New Family Summer Registration - or if you have attended an Open House tour, we will send you an email with the link as well.
CURRENT and ALUMNI BNS FAMILIES:
Summer Registration is now open and BNS families from the current, upcoming, or any previous year may register online by logging into the MyProcare.com parent portal using the email address that we have on file for you.
REGISTRATION QUESTIONS:
Please call if you have any questions about summer registration, available spots/schedule in classrooms, or to schedule a personalized tour at 732-244-1550. Or you may send us a message via Contact Page. Thank you!
