Polliwog Preschool

Polliwog Preschool is a school year program of the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center in Bellevue. The program is play-based and multi-aged for children 3 to 5 years old. At Polliwog Preschool, nature is used as the ideal catalyst for discovery and stimulation. Seasonal themes and daily activities are designed to meet the specific developmental needs of early learners, while encouraging curiosity and fostering a love of nature and learning.

Philosophy

We focus on developing the whole child - socially, emotionally, mentally and physically - while initiating them into a lifelong, meaningful relationship with the natural world.

Curriculum

Polliwog Preschool uses the natural world as the guiding theme to frame our core curriculum areas of science, art, music, math, language and literacy. The program is play-based and student-driven with a combination of activity choices, discovery explorations and specific activities that relate to the current theme. Activities are designed to address each child's developmental needs while encouraging curiosity, fostering love of the natural world, and developing the whole child.

Thematic Learning
Nature-focused themes are used to integrate our core curriculum areas. For example, when studying insects, the children will act out the life cycle of a dragonfly and fly through the forest for creative movement. Investigative, quantitative and analytical skills will be developed as we compare, count, and study terrestrial and aquatic insects. Teachers model careful treatment of nature and of the creatures that we examine and release back to their natural habitat. When out of the woods and back in the classroom, we extend our learning and creativity in various ways such as painting an insect at the art station or creating an insect story as a language art activity.

Program

Polliwog Preschool is a multi-age program for children ages 3 to 5. Maximum class size is 12 students, with a minimum of 2 teachers in each class.

Session Options
Our program runs from mid-September to early June. Children may be enrolled in one of the following sessions:

• Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
• Tuesday and Thursday: 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

General Daily Schedule
9-9:30 a.m. Transition
Greet teachers and friends, free play.

9:30 - 9:45 a.m. Morning Circle
Introduction to the day's theme, weather, calendar, sharing time.

10 - 11:30 a.m. Outdoor Exploration
Exploration and play on the trails. Theme-focused activities and nature study. Snack.
(weather permitting)

11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Indoor Activity Time
Extension activities including: sensory, art, math and literacy stations.

12:15 - 12:30 p.m. Closing Circle
Reflections, songs, stories.

12:30 p.m. Pick-up

2013-14 School Year Schedule
Polliwog Preschool follows Bellevue School District for calendar schedules and weather-related closures.

September 12, 2013 - Open House for Registered Families, 10 - 11:30 a.m.
An informal open house where enrolled children and their families can visit the classroom, walk the trails, meet their teachers and interact with classmates.

September 16 - Start of the Monday/Wednesday/Friday class.
September 17 - Start of the Tuesday/Thursday class.
November 11 - Veteran's Day, no preschool.
November 22 & 23 - Thanksgiving Recess, no preschool.
December 23 - January 3, 2014 - Winter break, no preschool.
January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day, no preschool.
February 17 - 21 - Mid-winter break, no preschool.
April 7 - 11 - Spring Break, no preschool.
May 26 - Memorial Day, no preschool.
June 5 - Last day for the Tuesday/Thursday class.
June 6 - Last day for the Monday/Wednesday/Friday class.

Enrollment and Tuition

Tuition
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Tuition is $1,980 for September 17, 2013 - June 5, 2014. Full tuition payment is encouraged prior to the first day of preschool each year. Families may pay tuition in nine monthly installments of $220 per month via credit card or check. A $220 non-refundable deposit is due when registering your child. The deposit will cover your May/June tuition or be subtracted from your single payment as appropriate.

Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Tuition is $2,952 for September 16, 2013 - June 6, 2014. Full tuition is encouraged prior to the first day of preschool each year. Families may pay tuition in nine monthly installments of $328 per month via credit card or check. A $328 non-refundable deposit is due when registering your child. The deposit will cover your May/June tuition or be subtracted from your single payment as appropriate.

Registration
Registration for the 2013-14 school is currently closed. Both sections are full, with lengthy waitlists.

Information about the 2014-15 school year, application process and our upcoming January 2014 Open House will be available in late fall 2013.