Children learn about the world around them through active exploration and play. With an awareness of individual strengths and interests, teachers develop a curriculum to honor and explore each child’s potential. Classrooms are designed to offer many opportunities for a child to learn at his or her own pace. Art, music, and children’s literature are essential elements of our program. Concepts and skills are presented at appropriate developmental stages and then expanded upon through both structured activities and imaginative play.
Many children begin attending a few days a week that allows both the child and family to achieve a comfort level with school and the separation process. Scheduled days increase in subsequent years as the child becomes acclimated to school, allowing greater continuity of curriculum as the child grows and develops.
We feel that children of all ages should come together to learn from and with each other. Although our classrooms are grouped and defined generally by age, all of the children have ample opportunity to work with other teachers and age groups as well. Through play, between classrooms, children both younger and older come to know and appreciate one another, facilitating a sense of community.
Spruce Street is located in the heart of downtown Boston. The city provides us with many opportunities for concrete experiences that broaden the children’s understanding of the world around them. Cart rides along city streets and our trips to public parks contribute to an essential understanding of what it means to be part of a larger community. The many resources available to us in the city are invaluable teaching tools. The richness and diversity of our urban environment inform and enrich our educational mission.
We know that students learn most effectively when they feel a strong sense of belonging, when they feel known and celebrated in their environment, and when they learn from the differences in backgrounds and perspectives within their learning community. At Spruce, our commitment to diversity and inclusion is intentional by enriching the books available in our library, integrating social justice themes into our curriculum, and hosting guest speakers for our community. By helping our little ones to recognize and celebrate differences, and support families in their efforts to address challenging topics with their children, we hope to help raise the next generation of kind and inclusive humans.
