Classes & Activities

Programs are available for children 12 months to 5 years old. Children must be age eligible by August 31st, the official Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) cut-off date, to enroll. Classes are offered from 8:55 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. Monday through Friday with a variety of options at each age level. The preschool operates on a nine-month calendar, beginning in September and ending in May.

Class size (child/teacher ratio) is determined by the child’s age, room size and required square footage recommended by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Class placement is a careful and thoughtful process. Individual needs, special needs, boy/girl ratio and the age of each child is considered. The Children’s Circle staff members also make observations and recommendations for class placement.

We believe it is important that children have the opportunity to explore, question, manipulate, create, discover and make choices in an atmosphere of love, trust and reverence. With God’s help, each child will become the person he or she is intended to be. Learning activities, materials and practices are developmentally appropriate and relevant to the lives of young children.

Toddlers – Fours

The toddler through fours programs utilize Creative Curriculum, a project-based early childhood approach designed to foster the development of the whole child through teacher-led small and large group activities. The curriculum focuses on five areas of development:

• Spiritual Development – promoting a love of God.
• Social Development – learning to respect ourselves and others
• Emotional Development – establishing a positive self-image
• Cognitively Development – encouraging creativity and self-expression
• Physical Development – fostering fine and gross motor skills

Fives

The five year old class is for children who are eligible for kindergarten but may benefit from another year to grow and mature. The program utilizes ScienceStart! Curriculum, an inquiry-based, hands-on approach that allows your child to explore the world around them. The curriculum fosters receptive and expressive language skills, self-regulation of attention skills and problem-solving skills. Children have the opportunity to take their learning “on the road” with in-house field trips and service projects.

Literacy with Ms. Hallie

Through weekly sessions with Ms. Hallie, our children in toddlers, 2s and 3s are exposed  to important early literacy skills such as listening in a group, rhyming, following directions and predicting. Curiosity and imagination develop through books, stories, movement, puppets and more. Beginning in January, our 3s check out books monthly from the preschool library.

Ms. Hallie also fosters a love of reading and a respect for books in weekly literacy sessions with children in our 4s and 5s. Through activities that focus on early phonics skills, book and author study series and exploration of our center-based literacy lab, children gain a readiness for reading. Children check out books weekly from the preschool library.

Art with Ms. Ashly

Children in 4s and 5s enjoy weekly art sessions with Ms. Ashly in our Art Lab, complete with a variety of centers in which children can create and experiment in every class. By focusing on the process of creating art and not the product, children are allowed to freely explore materials and realize there is no “right or wrong” way to make art.

Science with Ms. Paige

Children in our 4s and 5s have the opportunity to become little scientists in TCC’s own Science Lab, led by Ms. Paige, a certified naturalist. Research, exploration, experiments and hands-on learning, are all part of this special attended on a weekly basis by children in our 3s, 4s and TK classes.

Creative Movement with Claudette Miller

Creative Movement comes to TCC monthly bringing fun-filled 30 minute sessions for children in our 4s and 5s. The classes challenge the children to use their imagination and express themselves through movement, while developing gross motor skills.

Music with Ms. Donna

Donna Wallace of Heart Strings Music visits TCC monthly to bring the love of music, song, instruments and fun in 30 minute sessions for children in all ages.

Chapel

Children in our 3s, 4s and 5s grow in faith through a special Chapel service held once a month in Francis Chapel. Each service includes music and a message from a member of the church clergy or staff. Children are encouraged to bring a designated food offering each month to help us show love to the community around Hidden Valley Elementary School. TCC works with MPUMC to fill the Blessing Box, located on Hidden Valley’s campus.

Carpool

To encourage self-confidence and independence and as a convenience for our families, we offer morning and afternoon carpool for our 3s, 4s and 5s and afternoon carpool for our 2s. Carpool numbers and drop-off and pick-up instructions are given to families at Open House.