Polar Bears

Our pre-k classroom is for children ages 3 to 12 years old.

The Polar Bear classroom is for children ages 3 up to age 12. Primarily this classroom has children ages 3-5, but will accommodate school-aged children during after-school hours or school breaks.

It is preferred that children are potty trained in this classroom, but is not a requirement. There is no changing station in this classroom, so children are encouraged to wear cloth underwear as they potty train.

Starting at the age of 4, children may begin to work on the Waterford Upstart program, which prepares children with the necessary foundational academic skills to enter kindergarten. The children work on core skills such as letter and number identification in this classroom, as well as basic phonics and phonemic awareness. Children who are in school may receive help on their homework, if desired, and are offered age appropriate activities that differ from those offered to the younger children in the classroom.

The ratio in this classroom is 1 teacher to 13 children.

Lead Teacher

Teresa Avalos

All About Teresa:

Favorite Restaurant: Cafe Rio

Favorite Beverage: Coke

Favorite Snack: Hot Cheetos

Favorite Color: Purple

Favorite Hobby: Hiking, gardening, reading

Favorite Store: Target

Other Polar Bear Staff

Esther Irra Pelaez

Picture coming soon!

Laura Aguilar

Dean Thelen

Daily Schedule

Children ages pre-k and older have developed a sound sense of autonomy and thrive on clear structure and expectations. Daily, they are offered opportunities to aid in classroom function by completing assigned jobs and other small tasks that help in aiding the positive development of their self-esteem and sense of ability.

In the Polar Bear classroom, children are nurtured in developing their higher-level thinking skills as they make decisions about what they will do, carry out their ideas, and reflect on new ideas with their caregivers and the other children.

Our Curriculum

Teachers encourage children of all ages to explore what they can do, and help them to observe the cause and effect of their discoveries. Teachers plan and facilitate activities that engage children through direct experiences with people, objects, and other sensory-motor opportunities. Children are provided with a predictable and active learning environment filled with open-ended materials that they are encouraged to explore independently.

Below is an example of a weekly lesson plan offered in the pre-k room, where children will interact with the curriculum in eight main content areas (Approaches to Learning, Social/Emotional Development, Physical Development & Health, Communication, Language & Literacy, Mathematics, Creative Arts, Science and Technology, and Social Studies.)

Additionally, the Waterford Upstart program is offered to children starting at age 4. This early learning program adapts to each child's learning needs. Children in the Polar Bear classroom are encouraged to engage with the software for 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week and log in each day that they attend our center.

Personal Items

Parents must provide their children with diapers and wipes (where applicable) and a change of clothes that are marked with their child's names. There is a $2.00 per diaper charge applied for the use of center diapers.
Parents are also welcome to bring preferred blankets or other comfort items for their children. Please do not bring toys from home unless invited to for a classroom related event. The center is not responsible for lost for stolen personal items.
Please provide seasonally appropriate clothing for your child - open-toed shoes are not allowed.

NOTE: Sippy cups are prohibited for children older than two. Water bottles are provided by the center, if desired.

Pull-ups are prohibited at our center. When a child demonstrates signs of toilet learning, please confer with the classroom teachers. Children will proceed from disposable diapers to underpants. Exemptions to this policy may be made for children with special needs.
Outside food and snacks are not allowed in the center.
The center will provide blankets and sheets for rest time.
The center has extra clothes available if needed, but parents are expected to return center items to their classrooms promptly.
Each child will be assigned a cubby to store their personal and rest time items.

Rules|Guidance|Discipline

There are three rules in the Polar Bears classroom:

Be kind to our things
Be kind to each other
Be kind to yourself

Caregivers understand that children are learning, and that means working with them in a positive manner to develop meaningful relationships and model appropriate behavior. Children are redirected to activities and choices that they can choose, providing them with a sense of freedom and accountability. Every effort will be made to first resolve discipline problems through discussion and problem solving with the child through direction and both verbal and nonverbal cues.

Some behaviors are developmentally appropriate and are expected for this age group; this includes tantruming, wandering or running, pushing or shoving, throwing and other physical reactions. Children at this age also tend to engage in more socially complex conflicts, such as learning to share and to respect one another's personal space and boundaries. The center and staff will take every measure to anticipate, redirect, and prevent these behaviors as the need arises.