• Curriculum Overview
• Afternoons
• Events and Celebrations
• Service Learning and Partnerships
• Special Assemblies
• Mini Courses

by Maureen McHugh

Our 5-day preschoolers get together with their Main Circle "Reading Buddies" weekly. With books in hand, the buddies pair off in cozy areas of our room to read together. At any given time, you can see children lounging comfortably on pillows in the meeting area, huddled in the loft, stretched out in the block area or snuggling on the sofa. The room is filled with the delightful hum of giggles and conversations as friendships build. Many of these budding relationships reach far beyond the hour set aside for them on Monday afternoons. Many of our Main Circle Buddies pop in just to say "Hi" or to grab a quick hug from their admiring young friend. And, it is not uncommon to hear one of our preschoolers shouting with excitement across the field to get the attention of their buddy.

We often hear our preschoolers announcing with pride, "There's my buddy." Many of our preschoolers choose to sit with their buddies during assembles and some of them like to join their buddies for our Wednesday morning "Sing."

This partnership serves many purposes. The Main circle children become mentors for our preschoolers. It allows our preschoolers to make new friends while becoming familiar and comfortable with the larger community at SRV. It allows the Main Circle children to practice their skills while reading to a captive audience in an environment where they are looked upon with awe. Our preschoolers relish in the one-on-one attention they receive from their "big kid" buddy.

Our "Reading Buddies" have begun to keep journals. In these journals, you can find the names of the books the children have read together as well as illustrations. Most recently, the preschoolers were challenged to make up a story in their minds during quiet time. When our reading buddies arrived, they scribed as the preschoolers dictated their stories. Together, they illustrated their combined work, which is on display in our library. What an incredible process!