Henny Penny Nursery School has been welcoming children and families for over 40 years. We're the oldest running preschool North of Boston

About Our Program

We offer a morning preschool program Monday through Thursday for children between the ages of 3 - 5. Our morning schedule runs from 8:30 - 12:00. Families may choose any combination of 2, 3, or 4 days. Henny Penny follows the same school calendar as the City of Salem.

Staffing

All staff members at The Henny Penny Nursery School hold current licenses through the Department of Early Education and Care and are CPR and Infant/Child First Aid Certified. Teachers are required to complete 15 hours of professional development annually. This helps to keep the curriculum fresh and up to date. The average student teacher ratio will be no more than 10:1.

Program Philosophy & Goals

At Henny Penny, we believe each child's development is unique. Our goal is to create an atmosphere where each child may grow socially, emotionally and physically.

Our program is a thoughtfully planned combination of teacher directed and child centered activities. Our classroom is made up of learning centers and interest areas that provide opportunities for creative exploration and discovery, imaginative and dramatic play, block building, artistic expression, music, creative movement, and the development of pre-reading, writing, math and science skills.

Children are encouraged to take responsibility, make decisions and learn through play in mixed age groupings.

We aim to foster a true love of learning as we prepare our students for success when they enter kindergarten.

Curriculum

Our curriculum is designed around topics in Science, Math, Language Arts and Social Studies. Standards, based on the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, are established to stretch students' intellectual growth while also
being developmentally appropriate.

Daily Schedule

• 8:30-9:15 Arrival & Free Play
• 9:15-9:30 Circle Time
  *Pledge of Allegiance, Calendar
  *Activities, Weather Songs,
  *Poems/Sing-Alongs, Finger
  *Plays, "What's Coming Today"
• 9:30-10:45 Small Group Activities
  *that are all teacher guided.
  *These include: Story Time, Arts
  * & Crafts, Cooking, Science &
  * Math Projects, Learning Centers
• 10:45-11:00 Clean Up
• 1:00-11:20 Snack
• 11:20-11:50 Music and Movement
• 11:50-12:00 Pack-Up/Jackets On
  **emphasis on self-help skills*

At 12:00, we walk the children downstairs to meet their parents

SPECIAL EVENTS
AND
ONGOING ACTIVITIES

• Summertime Visits to New Families
  
• Annual Autumn Festival
• Halloween Costume Party and Neighborhood Walk
• Thanksgiving Feast
  
• Holiday Songfest
  
• January Parent Conferences
• Pajama Day & Family
• Breakfast
• Valentine's Day Party
  
• Easter Party
  
• End of the Year Play
• Graduation in June
• Gym with Miss Joan
• Monthly Walk & Visit to the Salem Public Library
• Cooking Projects Each Week
• Ropes Mansion Garden walks
• and outdoor games

Parent Involvement
*A strong home/school connecton is essential when creating the optimum environment for young children. Our famliy friendly classroom environment encourages parents to be activley involved. We invite parents and family members to share their special talents, hobbies or interests. Our staff recognizes that your child is an extension of your family and we support opportunities to foster this connection.

*Parent and Teacher communication plays a key role in the success of our program. Parents are kept informed of their child's development through periodic conferences, progress reports and weekly newsletters.