MESSAGE FROM THE CURRICULUM DIRECTOR

Gloria Trabucco is the Curriculum Director and a Master Teacher at the Pre-K. She helps teachers in the Pre-K and Extended Care Programs develop and improve curriculum and she assists in supervision of the teaching faculty. In addition to writing curriculum, Gloria is in charge of the Enrichment Program. The After School Enrichment Program, a unique feature of our curriculum, educates children and offers families an alternative for extending the school day. The Program has three sessions - fall, winter and spring - and offers many classes that explore specific subjects.

To see the Spring Enrichment Brochure click here.

Gloria also participates in the Early Learning Institute and with Pre-K teacher development workshops where she creates and teaches classes on incorporating the environment into curriculum and emergent literacy and math. She is a mentor to new teachers on staff for permanent certification.

Outside is “In” at MCPK

Gloria Trabucco, Curriculum Director, MCPK

The early lilacs became part of this child, and grass and white and red morning glories, and white and red clover.

-Walt Whitman

When I see birches bend to left and right…

I like to think some boy’s been swinging them.

- Robert Frost

Everyone familiar with the Pre-K knows how serious we are about our outdoor time. The reasons are many; outdoor activity calms hyper children, helps reduce stress and childhood obesity and keeps children healthy. There is, however, so much more to consider. Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods believes that “As young children spend less and less of their lives in natural surroundings, their senses narrow, physiologically and psychologically, and this reduces the richness of human experience.” Mr. Louv celebrates the fact that nature is filled with “loose parts and possibilities, with mud and dust, sky and skinned knees.” Those words are certainly true of our beautiful outdoor space. There is something to see and experience every single day – a hawk soaring in the sky, the red and yellow twig dogwood trees in the Four Seasons Garden, the outline of the trees against a crystal blue winter sky or our smokestack standing tall against a gray November sky. The amount of running, walking, hopping, skipping, leaping, jumping and sliding is a wonder to behold. Our playground becomes a twisting, turning, stretching, reaching, bending, and fun place to be. Outdoor time inspires creativity and the full use of the senses.

Here are some ideas for spending your own outdoor time with your child:

· Add a short walk to your evening routine. This can be as simple as walking to the end of the driveway or going outdoors to look at the moon. Children will love having your undivided attention. Look up at the stars, tell a story about when you were young and listen to what your child has to say.

· Enjoy all kinds of weather. Try to go outdoors regardless of weather conditions. Plan short activities if it is very cold (or hot). Most preschoolers love walking in the rain if dressed properly. Try it yourself – it’s fun! How does it smell when it rains? What does rain sound like when it hits the pavement? What color is the cold? Many cultures name the winds. The “Chinook” is a warm, dry wind that blows down from the Rocky Mountains, the “Purga” is a wind that brings snow and sleet to Alaska and the “Cockeyed Bob” brings storms to Australia. What would be a good name for a gentle breeze or a cold wind?

· Play Games. When the weather is nice, play simple games like Hopscotch, Jacks and Simon Says. Introduce skills preschoolers will one day use to play sports such as kicking or dribbling or catching a ball or hitting a foam ball back and forth using light rackets.

· Enjoy the nature all around you. Point out the nature all around you – the pale green shade of new leaves in the spring, squirrels jumping between trees like trapeze artists, birds sitting on a branch and singing their own special song. What is your child’s “own special song ?” What’s yours?