Programs

YellowBirds 2019-20 School Year

2 - 3 Year Olds
$240 / month
  • Class Size: 9
  • Tuesday/Thursday 12:30 – 2:30 Fall Semester
  • Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday 12:30 – 2:30 Spring Semester

Bluebirds 2019-2020 School Year

3 - 4 Year Olds
$455 / month
  • Class Size: 12
  • Monday – Friday 9:15 –  12:00
  • Lunch Bunch Optional

Redbirds 2019-2020 School Year

4 - 5 Year Olds
$455 / month
  • Class Size: 14
  • Monday – Friday 9:15 –  12:00
  • Lunch Bunch Optional

Other Annual Costs:

Registration:  $75

Materials Fee:  $100

Our Classes

2 – 3 Year Olds. Our Yellowbird day includes free play when children are able to move about freely choosing from a wide variety of experiences.  Yellowbirds have a circle time with songs, finger-plays and stories, a snack time, and an outdoor play time. Exploration and discovery and mastery of new materials are exciting for two’s and our class room offers lots of opportunities to do this. Large-motor activity time includes getting outside as often as possible and letting the children run, climb, play ball, ride trikes, or dig in the huge sandbox. During the day, children have the opportunity to take initiative through choice, practice co-operation and learn social skills in small groups, and persevere through tasks in a supportive environment. It is a very supportive environment for beginning separation from your child and helping children learn independence skills and an opportunity for children to learn to love the idea of “school”.
3 – 4 Year Olds. Our Bluebird school day emphasizes creative and imaginative play and includes free-play with children choosing activities in the art area, manipulative toys area, puzzle area, or the blocks area. Pre-reading and pre-math skills are introduced through play, and we often work with the children during activities to scribe descriptions of their art and their own stories. A big part of the Bluebirds focus is developing social skills, independence, and self-esteem. We have a snack time focused on social interaction, circle times with songs, activities, and stories. Outdoor playtime is a big part of Overleee. We have a huge playground with a large sandbox, riding toys, climbing structures, and more. We love to get the children outside to run, climb, play ball or dig in the sandbox. At Overlee we go outside in all types of weather; rain, snow, and shine.  Our Bluebirds and Redbirds have two play times outside during the school day.

Our Bluebirds are not required to be potty trained.

4 – 5 Year Olds. Redbird year is your child’s stepping stone to Kindergarten. Here, they become proficient in their social skills through sharing, compromising, turn taking and problem solving using conflict resolution. Our play-based curriculum feeds the children’s intellect and imagination, and relates to their own curiosity, interests and capabilities. Children are provided with rich opportunities to widen their knowledge and experiences through various activities and field trips. They also get to explore a wide range of interests through classroom activities like music, science, and yoga. Your child’s holistic experience will allow them to develop naturally and to grow socially and emotionally, making them ready for the next level of their education and for anything the world has to offer them. We have a snack time focused on social interaction, circle times with songs, activities, and stories. Outdoor playtime is a big part of Overleee. We have a huge playground with a large sandbox, riding toys, climbing structures, and more. We love to get the children outside to run, climb, play ball or dig in the sandbox. At Overlee we go outside in all types of weather; rain, snow, and shine.  Our Bluebirds and Redbirds have two play times outside each school day.

The Overlee Day

In our happy and stimulating environment our focus is on the process, not the product. The teachers provide a plan for the day that encourages creativity and curiosity, however, they also follow the child and adapt the plan accordingly so that each child can explore and engage in developmentally appropriate experiences.  New materials are constantly introduced and switched around the rooms.  Concepts and themes are extended for periods of time to allow for reinforcing and enjoying the lessons. The child’s own art and creations are proudly displayed through out the school.  Our Redbird class begins with a welcome activity and then transitions to free play.  Our Yellowbird and Bluebird classes begin their day with free play.  All classes then follow free play with the option to go outside before clean up and circle time.  Circle time includes a teacher directed activity including reading, singing and dancing.  Snack time follows.  Classes finish with outdoor play.  We go out to play in all types of weather.   Yes, even snow!

Here is what your children might find on a typical day:

Play-dough Table. Tactile activities provide children with a chance to develop their sensory processing and increase their dexterity. This is also a great place for some children to ease into the classroom by looking around and observing what is going on.

Dramatic Play Area. This is a wonderful play area. It might be a house, a doctor’s office, a post office, or a kitchen. By playing out the adult roles they see around them, children build identity and self-esteem, as well as enhancing cognitive development.

Group Time. Each class has one or two circle times per class session, led by the teacher. Everyone sings, dances, listens to stories, talks about classroom issues, and experiences being part of the large group while honoring children’s individual needs with flexibility in how children participate.

Snack.  Snack is one of our group activities. Socialization and polite table manners are taught. Also, hand-eye coordination is practiced though passing the snacks to one another.

Manipulative Activities. Each classroom has a wide variety manipulative toys and activies to offer the children. Items such as patterning blocks, pegs, puzzles, beads, and building sets, offering many different ways for kids to work on their fine motor skills and consider cognitive concepts such as patterning and matching and grouping different objects.

Art. As young children explore art, they learn about color, shape, form, technique while building coordination and creative expression and practicing fine motor skills. Our goal is to have children explore a variety of techniques through structured crafts, painting at the easels, letting kids just cut paper and use glue, just to name a few.

Bike Deck. There is a bike deck where the children can ride on trikes, cozy coupes, three wheeled scooters, plasma cars, and more.

Sandbox. The sandbox is a great place for learning about sharing space and cooperation. As children explore the sand, they are building motor skills, coordination, scientific understanding, problem solving, and teamwork. Our sandbox is not only spacious but has gems and buried treasure within.

Climbing Structures and motor skills activities. Children learn self confidence, balance, spatial awareness, motor planning and proximity as they explore our castle structure, climbing net, and merry go round.

Music. We encourage children to learn the joy of singing, and some of the foundations of understanding of pitch, tempo, and music as artistic expression. Musical instruments are always available to the children both inside and outside.

Sensory Activities. In addition to our frequent indoor sensory activities, the playground outdoor classroom offers many opportunities for sensory exploration. We have tables and pools for activities such as water play, shaving cream play, or  melting ice blocks.

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Lunch Bunch

 

Redbirds and Bluebirds have the option of staying from 12 – 1:30pm for Lunch Bunch. They eat lunch together either in the Redbird room or outside, and continue playing until pickup. The cost of lunch bunch per day is $10.

Enrichments

Science

In each science class the kids will participate in hands-on science experiments to learn about the world around us. We predict, observe, experiment and draw conclusions. They may go outside to collect materials for their experiments. Some examples of what they may do are; make soap, learn about germs, learn about spider webs, and much more.

Music

The children are taught by an experienced music instructor who nurtures the childrens inner sense of musicality by exposing them to fundamental musical concepts in a fun and playful way – in keeping with the Co-op’s philosophy of learning through play. She uses songs, chants, and rhymes to introduce concepts including loud/soft, fast/slow, high/low, and pitch and rhythm matching. Every class also incorporates dance, and an exploration of various musical instruments.

Yoga

In each class the kids will explore and express themselves through Yoga sets with nature and animal based games, dance, and song to stimulate, encourage and enhance the health, intuitive awareness, and creative freedom of their young spirits.  Yoga helps children develop coordination, balance and flexibility, encourages calm feelings, and boosts confidence.

Summer Camp

Our summer camp, known as PurpleBird Camp, provides school continuity for children over the summer in a playful outdoor setting. It begins the Tuesday after Memorial day and runs for eight weeks. The schedule is the same as the Redbird and Bluebird day, Monday through Friday 9:15-12 with the option of adding Lunch Bunch until 1:30. We also have a special camp for the Yellowbird families that begins the same day as Purblebird camp and runs for two weeks. At that time, all Yellowbirds who have turned age 3 by the start of camp and are potty trained may attend PurpleBird Camp.

Purplebird Camp is solely outdoors. It is full of water play and we bring the classroom outdoors. Children can paint and do crafts outside. They can wash and hose down the cozy coups and cars, they can make magic potions in the water tables. Purplebird Camp is a wonderful chance for your child to just have fun and be outdoors!