Programs and Curriculum

Four-Year-Old Program
The UMNS curriculum is informed by the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Preschool Curriculum Framework and Benchmarks. The overall goal of the four year old curriculum is to prepare children for kindergarten. Therefore, our program focuses on early language and literacy development, pre- writing, math and science skills. Art activities are process driven and focus on each child’s creative expression. Children are given opportunities every day to develop fine motor skills through drawing, beading, painting, and manipulating many different small objects.

Children spend time everyday at our outdoor playground that is specially designed to promote all aspects of good physical development. (On rainy days, we have a large indoor playroom available.) In addition to their regular classroom activities, the fours also have two specials. The first is a weekly thirty minute music class led by a music teacher and the second special is a forty minute, twice monthly creative movement class. Children develop self-help skills throughout the day by choosing and directing many of their activities, dressing and undressing themselves, putting away their materials and toys, and cleaning up their snack tables.

Meeting Times
Five Day program meets 19 hours per week – Three days 9:00 a.m.- noon and two days 9:00-2:00 p.m. Teacher /student ratio is 2:17.  The ratio in the afternoon is 2:8

Four Day program meets 16 hours per week Three days 9:00 a.m.- noon and one day 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.  Teacher/student ratio is 2:14. The ratio in the afternoon is 2:7

Three-Year-Old Program
The curriculum for the threes program is also guided by the Connecticut Preschool Curriculum Framework and Benchmarks. The threes program is play based with the overall goal of having children learn to be comfortable letting go of mom and dad and becoming a participating member of a group. Children are taught how to use language to enter into play situations, solve problems, communicate their needs and negotiate with their classmates. Children choose to play in various centers throughout the room including: sensory tables, dramatic play, art tables, library area and blocks. Teachers expose the children to a print rich environment and read to the children many times throughout the day. The children begin to work on self-help skills such as toileting; putting away toys, finding their cubbies and cleaning up after snack. The threes also have a weekly thirty minute music class with the music teacher. The children have their own daily 45 minute outdoor play time.

Meeting Times
Three Days- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:00 a.m. – noon

Three Days-Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9:00 a.m. – noon

Teacher/student ratio is 2:14

Extended Day Program
In the extended day program, children stay at school until 1:55 p.m. Children have time to socialize, eat lunch with their friends, listen to more stories and have another visit on the playground. The lunch is sent to school by the parents. Sign up for extended days is offered every two to three weeks making the program flexible in that parents are not committed to a specific day for the whole year.  

Mini Camp Program
Our regular school program ends each year on the Thursday before Memorial Day. After that, families may sign their children up for Mini Camp which runs for three weeks beginning the Tuesday after Memorial Day. During mini camp, the children are assigned to new groups with new teachers. Every year there is a different theme for the camp such as, “The Circus is coming to Town.” Each day of camp, the children all meet on the playground in the morning for a flag raising ceremony. Every day children have a special activity; visit the arts and crafts room, outdoor playground time and home base time. This program is optional and parents sign up for any or all of the three sessions.