8:30-9:00: Arrival
As children arrive for the day, they are greeted by the Director and team at the front door. If a family arrives early, they are welcome to read together in the cozy library before heading upstairs to class. Families help the children unpack their belongings, join them for the question of the day and leave them to settle into something fun and engaging before heading out. Window waves are a fun drop-off tradition at Spruce.
8:30-9:30: Mixed-age Free Play
For the first hour of every day, all of the children are fully engaged in whole-school, mixed-age free play. As an open-plan learning space, the children are encouraged to autonomously visit classrooms other than their own and connect with new friends. There is a beautiful buzz of learning, laughter, conversations, and imaginative play during this time.
9:30-9:45: Morning Meeting
At the end of free play, our children help tidy up the toys and other resources and join their class for the Morning Meeting. From saying hello to outlining the plan for the day, the Morning Meeting helps anchor the start of the day as a class.
9:45-10:00: Snack
Our children bring their favorite healthy snacks from home to enjoy in the company of their companions. From finger foods to those requiring simple utensils, all of our children are able to eat independently and take care of their belongings.
10:00-10:15: Books and Puzzles
The children are fully immersed in literacy and problem-solving skills during our books and puzzles time. Whether in the classroom or during a visit to the lending library, our children have access to a vast selection of picture books.
10:15-11:00: Project time
Each day, the children engage in a hands-on project directly connected to their unit, modeled in their Project Meeting. From art materials to science experiments, this part of the day is the anchor of our curriculum. Families can see the projects displayed in the classroom before eventually taking them home to add to their own galleries.
11:00-12:00: Play Outside
We are fortunate to have our own Spruce playground on site, allowing for the children to get outside as often as possible. Tunnels, stepping stones, a sandbox, balls and blocks create a fun, safe space for children to develop their gross motor skills. When the weather is nicer, we venture a bit further afield to play at the Eliot Norton, Clarendon and Boston Common playgrounds. Our older children walk safely using a walking cord, with teacher hands, while our younger children move around in our carts with safety straps.
12:00-12:30: Lunch
Everyday, our children and teachers spend time sharing a meal together. The children bring their favorite healthy foods from home, that they can eat independently, and use this time to enjoy their food and their friends. This helps a parent not having to rush home at the end of the school day to feed a child who is hungry.
12:30-12:50: Journals
Journals are a cornerstone of our program, a yearlong collection of marks, drawings and annotated words from the children. Each fall, the families decorate and personalize their child’s journal, complete with a letter, which the children cherish and use throughout the year. These journals become keepsakes for families.
12:50-1:00: Goodbye Meeting
Each day closes with a Goodbye Meeting, singing farewell to each child and looking forward to the next day. The children work on their sense of independence, scaffolded by the teachers, as they pack up their belongings and head downstairs to meet their grown-ups. All of the teachers are available in person each day to let families know about the child’s day.
At Spruce, we have a music specialist who comes to sing, dance, and engage with the children twice weekly. Each class has music for a half hour on Mondays and Thursdays.
