What does it mean to be a BCD student? BCD Students Are... Prepared.
Outstanding faculty, small class size and a rigorous curriculum prepare BCD students for success in any quality high school and beyond.
“The teachers at BCD are truly exceptional people. I did not realize how unusual this was until I went to shadow at the high schools. Here, the teachers know you personally and the level of trust astounds me every day.”– BCD Middle School student
Boulder County Day (BCD) preschool is an accredited Association of Colorado Independent Schools program serving children ages three to five years and their families. We welcome students into inviting classrooms and outdoor spaces that solicit children’s active participation in the selection of activities and materials designed to enhance social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth. The preschool classrooms contain numerous learning centers and materials which support curriculum and encourage exploration. Classrooms contain a variety of reading and writing materials that facilitate language awareness, phonetics, sound recognition, vocabulary development, and emergent reading and writing skills. The classrooms also feature hands-on materials such as blocks, dramatic play props, dress-up clothing, as well as art and craft materials which support social, emotional, and cognitive growth. BCD promotes strong family – school connections. Parents are always welcome and many are active participants in classroom activities, field trips and other events.
The BCD preschool uses a theme based language and literacy curriculum titled “Read, Play and Learn!” which supports major goals in language arts, math, science, social studies, and citizenship. This “storybook” method of promoting curriculum goals provides meaningful learning experiences which teachers and children use as springboards for cross-curricular connections and exploration of interests and ideas.
Read, Play and Learn! supports children’s language and literacy skills as students engage in experiences that encourage them to express themselves and engage in communication with others. Articulation and phonemic awareness, as well as exposure to vocabulary comprehension and beginning reading and writing skills are highlighted as teachers model conventional skills and actively engage in building children’s conceptual understanding of the printed word in relation to spoken language. Teachers also facilitate discussions in which the children talk about featured books and share knowledge, while making comparisons, predictions, inferences, and evaluating story lines. In addition to Read, Play and Learn! BCD also uses traditional “Carden” materials to promote language and literacy concepts such as letter recognition, letter/sound relationships, the beginning phonemic awareness.
BCD’s preschool program promotes children’s beginning understanding of numeric concepts such as number recognition, counting, seriating, patterning, one-to-one correspondence, part-whole relationships, sorting, and sequencing. Manipulatives are added to match the monthly curriculum themes used throughout the program and additional instruction is given using “Math their Way” materials and lessons as teachers strive to keep learning fun while promoting true understanding of number concepts. The science curriculum is taught using age appropriate reading materials and hands-on, experiential learning activities. Children use sensory tables, science kits, field trips and even our own natural setting to interact with the physical, natural and chemical world.
The BCD preschool social studies curriculum features literature and experiences that encourage children to discover the world, its cultures, geography, and history. Problem solving, communication and respect for people and the world are focal points and our “CARING” component emphasizes the importance of being Civil, Accepting, Respectful, Inclusive, Nourishing and Gracious as the children learn to navigate their social world. Problem solving and conflict resolution skills are taught on a daily basis and teachers model appropriate communication, behavior, and words for expressing emotions and concerns.
Finally, Boulder Country Day’s preschool incorporates a “Specials” curriculum. This curriculum includes instruction in French, movement, music and performance, and library skills on a weekly basis.
Faculty members are committed to the school and many have been on campus for several years. All have training in early childhood education and engage in on-going professional development and continuing education.
The BCD Preschool program is a five hour program beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at either 1:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. For children who stay beyond 1:00 p.m. we maintain a balance of activities that include quiet time, experiences and projects that support curriculum, small group work, and outdoor time.
Classrooms are organized by age and follow Colorado Department of Social Services child/adult ratio standards, rules, and procedures. Specifically, BCD offers the following: