Our ScheduleThe Center is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 4:30PM, and Friday 8:00-12:30PM. During College of San Mateo's Fall and Spring semesters, the Center operates on the College calendar and serves children on days that classes are in session. The Center is open for a six-week summer session.
Children's Daily Schedule
| 8:00-9 | Free selection of inside activities which may include: blocks, manipulatives, puzzles, books, playdough, imaginative play, water play, painting, science, and nature exploration. |
| 8:30-9:30 | Breakfast: Children are encouraged to pour their own milk and serve their own food to develop self-help skills. Discussions on a variety of topics, including health and nutrition, make mealtimes an important part of the curriculum. |
| 9:30-10 | Large Group Time: Children gather together to sing songs, read stories, and discuss what will be available in different learning centers that day and what will be offered for snack. Children begin to feel comfortable as a member of a group through group time experiences. |
| 10-11 | Free selection of planned activities indoors and outdoors. (Outside activities are as important for development of the whole child as inside activities. Therefore, activities may include: climbing, trike riding, sand/water play, block construction, dramatic play, art, science exploration, and gardening.) |
| 11-11:30 | Small Group Time: Children meet daily with a set group of their peers to engage in a variety of teacher-initiated experiences. |
| 11:30-Noon | Clean-up & Lunch Preparation/Outside Time: Children enjoy setting tables and the activity also provides a valuable learning experience. |
| Noon-12:30 | Lunch (Copies of menus are available each week at the sign-in books.) A primary goal of our program is to meet children’s nutritional needs and encourage them to develop healthy eating habits. We serve meals family-style and encourage rich conversation at the table while also fostering children’s independence as they develop important self-help skills.) |
| 12:30-1 | Book Time is a shared reading experience. Children and staff listen, talk, and read aloud together. There is a genuine conversation about the story. Listening and responding to books fosters language development, links reading to writing, and builds in children positive attitudes about books and print. |
| 1 | Nap Time: Children do need to rest their bodies even if they don’t sleep. Some children need longer naps than others. Parents let staff know if their child’s sleeping schedule at school is interfering with home routines. |
| 2-4:30 | As soon as children awaken, a snack is available. Developmentally appropriate activities are offered indoors and outdoors. |
| 4:30 | Closing Time |
