Program Planning Statement

Running head: PROGRAM PLANNING STATEMENT

Program Planning Statement Eden Whitehead Brigham Young University-Idaho

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PROGRAM PLANNING STATEMENT

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Mission Statement Creating educational environments wherein each child can flourish: mind, body, and spirit. Philosophy Statement Belief Statement 1: At Waldorf Preschool Academy, we believe that children learn best by exploration through the arts and movement; these are integrated into all subjects and academic experiences to stimulate creativity and an interest in learning. Waldorf strives to connect children to themselves and to nature through group project-based play both indoors and outdoors (Waldorf Education, 2015). Belief Statement 2: At Waldorf Preschool Academy, we value developmentally appropriate practice as the basis of all activities, educational or otherwise. This involves presenting experiences to children that are individually appropriate, age appropriate, and culturally appropriate for each child (NAEYC, 2019). We will get to know the child and each family through home visits and parent teacher conferences in order to understand each child’s specific needs. This will facilitate developmentally appropriate planning for all children in the program. Belief Statement 3: At Waldorf Preschool Academy, we foster the development of children by using a scaffolding approach to education. Children are encouraged to push the limits of their capacities with the guided instruction of teachers who remove themselves gradually as children become skilled, confident, and competent in their own right (McLeod, 2012). Waldorf curriculum strives to use topic-based teaching to incorporate as many academic disciplines as possible. Running records and portfolio-based assessments are used by teachers to track individual growth and to review where more assistance may be needed for each child. Traditional letter grades and standardized testing are eschewed in this program and replaced by

PROGRAM PLANNING STATEMENT

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frequent verbal and written feedback for both the child and their parents/caregivers (Waldorf Education, 2015). Goal 1: Each child’s individual, cultural, and developmental needs will be met. Objective 1: Teachers will perform home visits before the start of each school session to get to know each child and their family so as to understand the unique needs of each student/household. Objective 2: Children and their parents will attend regular conferences with their teachers to discuss their growth and development and to set appropriate goals for the future. Goal 2: Children will be engaged and excited about the learning process. Objective 1: Children will nominate subjects and topics of interest they wish to study in depth and be provided materials to do so. Objective 2: Children will participate in artistic and creative activities to enhance and diversify their learning of core subjects. Goal 3: Children will become active and responsible citizens of the community and of the planet earth. Objective 1: Children will spend time outdoors gardening and learning to care for nature and the environment. Objective 2: Children will participate in monthly field trips to centers in the community to learn about good citizenship.