Little Hornets Preschool
All Little Hornets Preschool classrooms are licensed by the State of Michigan, Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. We are located at 420 Highland St. Williamston, the north-west corner of Explorer Elementary School.
Programs
Children must be at least 3 years old by September 1 of the school year and independently use the toilet to register for Little Hornet Preschool. Residency within Ingham County is not required.
Little Hornets 1 - Half-Day
Little Hornets I is our half-day program and has two different section offerings:
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 9:10 am-12:10 pm
- Tuesday and Thursday: 9:10 am-12:10 pm
This classroom offers the child time to participate in activities that promote educational experiences. The two-day class is an introductory to preschool learning class and is typically for our youngest learners (3 year-old). The three-day class offers a positive first school experience (3 or 4 year-old enrollment) combined with kindergarten readiness skill development. Children in this classroom engage in a balance of large and small group learning experiences as well as opportunities for independent choice during center and outdoor play. A snack is provided daily.
Little Hornets 2, 3, & 4 - Full Day
Little Hornets 2, 3, 4, and 5 Preschool are full-day classrooms designed for the four-year-old learner
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 9:00 am- 4:00 pm
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: 9:00 am- 4:00 pm
The four-day and five full-day preschool program offers the four-year-old learner a longer period of time to engage in educational experiences. Activity periods within the school day are longer to promote independence and increase attention span. Increased length of time in the classroom provides opportunities for individualized learning, deeper connections with friends and more investigative long-term projects that promote critical thinking and the representation of ideas. A daily schedule is created to incorporate teacher-initiated as well as child-initiated experiences. Large group and small group times, center time, outdoor play, meal times, and a body and brain break time are all included in the child's school day. Kindergarten readiness skills are a focus within the learning experiences and curriculum of this classroom.
These classrooms partner with the Great Start Readiness Program and tuition-free grants may be available for children who are four by December 1st of the school year. Students who are eligible for a GSRP grant who are 4 years of age by September 1st will receive priority enrollment in this class.
All meals are provided by the program, which will include 2 snacks and a lunch daily. All food items are peanut-free.
Curriculum in this class is designed for our 4-year-old learners. Residency within the district is not required, but will be prioritized in the grant awarding process. All students enrolled in full-day programming must be 4 years of age by December 1 of the school year.
Wrap Around Child Care
Child care surrounding the student's preschool classroom experience may be available with separate registration and fee. Care may be available at the following times:
- 6:45-9:00 am
- 4:00-6:00 pm
Wrap around care is available for full-day preschool classes only.
Please view additional information regarding preschool child care under the Kids' Corner child care tab.
Our Philosophy of Teaching
Little Hornets is committed to providing young children with a high quality, early learning experience based on research pertaining to developmentally appropriate best practices. We are committed to teaching in ways that match the way children develop and learn. All of our classrooms follow the Creative Curriculum which is based on the following five fundamental principles:
- Positive interactions and relationships with adults provide a critical foundation for successful learning.
- Social- emotional competence is a significant factor in school success.
- Constructive purposeful play supports essential learning
- The physical environment affects the type and quality of learning interactions.
- Teacher family partnerships promote development and learning.
Our Goals for Children
Our programs believe that children learn best through play and when actively engaged with the environment. Teachers strive to meet the needs of each child and communicate individual progress. Classroom experiences are designed to meet the intellectual, social, emotional, physical, creative and special needs of each child.
All programs support children at their current developmental level and promote kindergarten readiness skills for success in their future academic experiences. Our programs encourage this through:
- Socialization
- Positive self-esteem
- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Opportunities for learning together
- Development of enthusiastic learners
- Supporting the child's independence and sense of responsibility
Guiding Beliefs
We believe that all children:
- Can be effective communicators
- Learn early how to become responsible and accountable and to work toward becoming individuals
- Learn early how to work towards becoming responsible citizens
- Acquire mindsets early to be self-directed lifelong learners
- Are capable of developing readiness skills within academic areas
- Become skillful in the beginning stages of critical, creative, and reflective thinking through learning and play
Beliefs for Every Child
We believe that:
- Each child is a person whose growth occurs in developmental stages that are sequential and continuous
- Each child is unique with individual physical, social, emotional and intellectual needs as well as cultural diversity
- Each child's creativity and independent discovery is best promoted through the provision of hands-on experiences in a warm and nurturing play-based environment
- Each child learns best when their educational experience is a cooperative venture between home and school
- Each child is naturally curious, creative, eager to learn, social and physically active
Helpful Resources and Links
What Teachers Do Every Day with Children
