Programs

SOCDS is proud to have five PreK classrooms. Our classes are multi-age, with half of the class being “youngers” (turning four during the school year), and the other half being “olders” (turning five during the school year).

Every class has between ten and fourteen children with two teachers. “Youngers” stay in the same classroom with the same teacher for two years (so the second year they become “olders”). This practice deepens the trust and safety between their teachers and peers, allowing them to learn and explore with ease.

A note on conflict resolution: One of the social developments of our PreK students is their exploration of how words have power. The classroom conflicts have moved from snatching what is wanted and slapping for attention, to using words for power and meaning. “You can’t come to my birthday” or “Only Tommy is coming to my house for a playdate.” We are very attuned to this behavior and recognize that students need be guided on how to appropriately resolve their feelings of jealousy, abandonment, and power. Throughout the school and from the very first morning, we model and praise appropriate group interactions. In PreK we also use a series of plays and picture sequences to explore different responses to friends and interpreting how our actions impact others.

SOCDS offers a full-day Kindergarten program. Our class has been historically small, with around twelve to fourteen children. This ensures that students receive individual lessons and activities at their level, while still developing independence among their peers. The majority of the learning experience in Kindergarten is self-directed.

Kindergarten is not mandatory in New Jersey, which allows us to accept students close to district age cut-offs, both younger and older. This benefits children because it gives them one more year of growth in a small setting before families make a decision about their entry to an elementary school. Health immunization requirements are dictated by the class and not by the age of the student.

Daily Schedule for SOCDS – Morning Care at 7:30am and Extended Day until 5:30/5:45pm

Drop off at main door (parents pull up on Vose in front of the school)

Go to classroom and meet teachers

Morning readiness (enter classroom, hang up jacket, place lunch boxes on shelf, remove folder from backpack and place in folder box, bathroom and wash hands)

Morning circle

Center work including a morning snack center every day

Yoga

Story

Outside to play

Lunch

Wash up

Quiet time (some children choose to nap and others will have quiet activities at the tables)

Afternoon Circle

Storytime

Outside to play

Dismissal readiness (pack up and get ready to go home)

Dismissal for full-day students

All classes also have art class in our art studio every other day in small groups and gardening three times a week.

Summer Camp 2024 – Registration is Closed.

Summer Camp 2024 Weekly Themes

Each year, SOCDS offers an optional weekly summer camp for children for nine weeks, from the last week of June through the last week of August. Camp hours are the same as school hours (morning care and enrichment are offered), and the program has the same teachers. It is an optional program, so full-time students do not lose their September enrollment if they choose not to do summer camp. Families only pay for particular weeks that they use.

Summer camp is run like a normal day of school, following the same routines of a school day: morning meeting, center work, story times, and social emotional practices.

Children participate in gardening class with Ms. Linda three times a week and art class with Ms. Jenny every other day. We will also continue with Movement with Ms. Erin three times a week.

We are outside a minimum of three times a day for about 30 minutes each time.

Our normal day is 8:30-3:10/3:20pm, and we offer morning care as early as 7:30am and extended day enrichment until 5:30/5:45pm.