The Orioles is a mixed-age class consisting of children between 3 and 5 years of age. In order to attend the Orioles, children must turn 3 by December 31st of the school year they will attend.

The Orioles has a maximum capacity of 18 children each day, and the minimum acceptable staff to child ratio, which will be maintained at all times, is 1 to 10.

The Orioles is a 12-month program, which runs August-August. The classroom is open daily from 8:00am-6:00pm, with three scheduling options:

• Monday - Friday
• Monday / Wednesday / Friday
• Tuesday / Thursday

Please be advised that how you choose to utilize the classroom hours on your scheduled days will not affect your tuition in any way - we do not offer reduced hours for reduced tuition. 

For more information, please see the program calendar and tuition and fees document.

A typical day in the Orioles includes…

• indoor free-play and learning centers
• guided music and movement
• teacher-guided art, cooking, or science activity 
• animal encounters
• morning meeting
• trail walk, exploration, and outdoor free-play
• rest time (some children may nap, some children may simply rest or read quietly)
• morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack

In the Orioles class, we like to take the importance of social and emotional growth and apply it to all aspects of our day. From snack to trailwalks, our goal in the Orioles is for our students to be able to experience nature in an environment that benefits not only their growing minds and selves but to the benefit of the animals and nature that we are investigating and immersing ourselves in. We focus on caring and kindness, from one another in the classroom, to the animals we interact with in Animal Hall, right down to the earthworms we find while at Big Rock Junction. Kindness is key, and here in the Orioles we hope to plant the seeds of compassion and watch them grow! The Orioles’ developmentally appropriate curriculum provides lessons and activities that meet the needs of all the children, teaching through play indoors and outdoors throughout the entire school year, as well as promoting traditional Kindergarten Readiness skills for our older students. 

Some big picture goals of the Orioles include:

• balancing the needs and rights of self and others
• sharing ideas and materials in socially acceptable ways
• communicating effectively with peers and adults
• independently carrying out daily routines and being prepared for transitions
• gaining knowledge of expectations, rules, limitations, and boundaries
• practicing social-emotional regulation