​Our Program

At Mulberry House, we begin our day with work time in the main classroom and in the atelier. Children are invited to move freely about the space while collaborating with peers or engaging in parallel work. Our indoor classroom boasts a community table for bread baking and other group projects, a loose parts center, a block area, a home life corner, a reading nook, and other areas to explore, connect, and create. We have a separate on-site atelier where children work with light/shadows, sensory materials, and a variety of child-accessible artistic media. As we near the end of work time, children take supervised trips to the bathroom in pairs so as not to disrupt the focused energy of the group. When this is complete, the children gather on the main rug for circle time. We come together to share conversation, to sing together, and to be in one another's company. During circle time, we give children exposure to live music and verse, as we believe they are powerful tools for social/emotional learning, language acquisition, and early math and literacy skills. When we've finished meeting as a group, the children enjoy a snack and then head outdoors to play under the shade of our mulberry tree in the on-site garden. There, children have daily access to a tree house, a sand table, water tables, a mud kitchen, a driving bench, outdoor easels, tricycles, tree stumps and a variety of other materials. We use the outdoor space in all types of (safe) weather. Just as in the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, our curriculum is emergent and is based entirely on the interests of the group. Teachers observe children and document the learning process in order to bring new challenges to the students and inform the emergent curriculum. We have a clear and predictable structure to our day, with plenty of time for children to exercise interest and agency in our environment. Class sizes are kept small (12 children and 2-3 teachers daily) to ensure responsive relationships and intimate learning experiences. We provide children with space, time, community, and an intentionally-curated environment in which to learn and grow.

---

​

​Daily Schedule 
8:30/9:00 Arrival + Work Time (Classroom/Atelier)
10:15 Circle Time + Music/Movement 
10:30 Snack at Community Table + Stories
10:45 Outdoor Play (Rain or Shine)
12:00  Lunch at Community Table + Stories 
12:30 Quiet Reading + Rest 
2:00 Outdoor Play
3:00 Dismissal 

Extended Day Schedule
3:00 Snack 
3:30 Depending on the group's needs/desires/ongoing projects, the schedule for extended day will vary. Included is outdoor time, special activities such as baking, yoga, story time, atelier work, and open play.  
4:00-5:30 Open Dismissal​

---