8 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.: Arrival and Supported Transition Time (Whole Group)
A smooth transition from home to school is vital for our early childhood students. Our nurturing faculty offers Barat Center students purposeful support, as they arrive each day. The transition time includes learning to store belongings in their cubbies before settling into a fine motor activity.
8:30 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.: Circle Time (Whole Group)
Circle Time is another important component of successful transition. A specific area of the Barat Center is designated for circle time, where students familiarize themselves and acclimate as a large group. Routine skills and activities, such as singing, gross motor games, and taking turns being active participants and leaders, are components of daily Circle Time.
8:50 a.m. – 10 a.m.: Center Time (Small Groups, Ability Grouped)
Structured play-based centers are designed to concentrate on specific academic areas and offer individualized exposure and instruction. During Center Time, students practice and master their literacy and writing skills, number sense, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, fine motor development, and vocabulary. The faculty works with students in small groups to reinforce unit concepts. Children are grouped according to their developmental ability, and move through four to five centers within the allocated time. Groups change throughout the year, based on growth and need.
10 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.: Morning Snack (Whole Group)
Snack time not only allows our students to refuel and re-energize, but also to practice social, emotional and behavioral skills. Independence, responsibility, empowerment, and dialogue are developmental skills that are encouraged during this time of the day.
10:20 a.m. - 11 a.m.: Large Group Literacy/Math (Two Separate Groups)
This is an opportunity for students to receive initial exposure and begin practice in “broad stroke” literacy and mathematical concepts and skills. Throughout the year, students will alternate between math and literacy. The change in subject will be based upon group growth and instructional pace of learning. Groups will be split, based on developmental ability.
11 a.m. -11:30 a.m.: Lunch (Large Group)
Barat Center students bring lunch to School. Teachers and students eat together in the classroom, and an intimate setting is created to allow for socialization during lunch. The faculty also takes this time to talk about wellness and nutrition. Barat Center half-day students depart after lunch.
11:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.: Story Time (Large Group)
After lunch, students come together to relax and listen to a story. Story time reinforces literacy skills and “book sense,” and helps children calmly transition from lunch to rest time.
11:50 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Rest and Free Play (Large Group)
All children rest for 20–30 minutes, or more if needed, on cots. Those who do not need more than 30 minutes move to the other room for supervised and guided free-play time. This gives the children a chance to explore the classroom freely, be imaginative, make independent choices, and engage with each other socially.
1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.: Recess (Large Group)
The Barat Center has its own playground and recess equipment. Recess gives children an opportunity to practice and develop gross motor skills, and experience social interactions in a less structured, outdoor setting.
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Enrichment/Special Time (Two Groups)
Barat Center students are exposed to subject and content areas connected with the “big school.” Students sometimes leave Barat Center to visit the Lower School art room, music room, science lab, library, dance studio or gym. Enrichment activities, such as cooking, world languages, yoga, Maker Space projects, and movement take place right in the Barat Center. Students have the added benefit of instruction from faculty in the wider Sacred Heart community.
2:30 p. m - 3 p.m.: Free Play/Craft Activities and Snack (Large and/or Small Groups)
To reinforce independence and decision-making skills, we offer our Barat Center students the opportunity to decide how they want to spend their free time. Children may choose to visit one of the free-play centers or participate in a craft activity. The children are supervised and guided; however, the outcomes of these activities will always be open-ended and imaginative. Depending on weather, some of these activities may take place outdoors.
3 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.: Dismissal
All students transition to their cubbies and work with teachers on independently preparing to go home. Teachers place students in parents’ vehicles with loving farewells.