Circle of Love, Meditation & Yoga
Our preschool program starts the day with a morning circle that is based on a seasonal theme that incorporates an ethical value, such as Helping Hands, Nature Study, Service to others and Kind Deeds. Our children gather in a circle in their classroom, remove their outdoor shoes and settle in, for their teacher to use story telling, finger-plays & song as the basis for their lesson of the day. Each story has an ethical value woven into the plot. During this circle time the children also get to experience meditation, as well as yoga poses that relate to the stories.

Play based Curriculum
Play based Curriculum The morning circle is followed by a period of free play and a guided activity- bread baking, painting, finger knitting, cleaning & care of classroom materials and other focused hand work.

Materials
New Day school uses classroom materials that come from nature. There is an emphasis on objects that have multiple uses, to stimulate imaginative play. Small stones and shells, simple capes, and handmade dolls, are among the favorite play things.

Gardening & Nature Study
Once a week the children are led in a gardening project taught by or beloved organic gardener. We are blessed with a large vegetable garden on our grounds, right in the center of our play yard! New Day children go out at least once per day, rain or shine! The children are free to work and play in the garden and nibble on the bounty of our harvest year round! Many visitors are delighted and surprised to hear our little three year olds say “I am going to pick some calendula!” or readily identify the plants around them. Our garden is fed by our compost program, which utilizes the children’s table scraps, and nourishes our bin of red wiggler worms. We have also recently put our table scraps to good use to help feed a rescued pig! Through these practical applications our children learn the value and interconnectedness between humans and the plant world.
Two years ago we enhanced our outdoor space by building a Cob sanctuary, that serves as a sweet little earthen outside classroom, as well as a meditation space. This project was completed by our teachers, children & volunteers from the greater community!

Meal Service
Our meal service is a point of pride! We offer wholesome vegan snacks and a hot lunch everyday. Our food is lovingly prepared in our school kitchen with an emphasis on whole foods. Our meals meet or exceed the USDA requirements. Lunches feature a bean, grain and two vegetables each day, snacks offer a grain/fruit or vegetable combinations.