Preschool
B.A.S.E. Preschool is designed to provide children requiring full day/full year care, a balance of child-directed, enriching play with teacher-directed, small group lessons within a structured and routine environment. Children must be 2.9 years old in September to attend. Operational hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the school year, which runs from September to August. B.A.S.E. offers a 5 day, full-day schedule. Hourly rates are not available.
Eligibility & Enrollment
The preschool is open to children from any local community. B.A.S.E. does not provide transportation to and from the center.
B.A.S.E., although open 12 months a year, follows the school year cycle when it comes to enrollment of new students and promotion. In September all new children begin in the class that is appropriate for their age (determined by the director) and remain in that class until the end of August, at which time they move into the next class. Children must be at least two years and nine months to attend preschool at B.A.S.E.
For new families, enrolling in B.A.S.E. ‘s preschool begins with a phone call to the Director to provide basic information about your child and to discuss the enrollment timeline. We have limited openings each year so it is advised to contact B.A.S.E. 6 – 9 months prior to the September in which you would like your child to begin attending B.A.S.E.
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The Director will then follow up with each family and invite them to visit B.A.S.E. The purpose of this visit is to familiarize the family with the program, review the school’s basic operations and to share information about the child.
Schedule & Curriculum
Operational hours are Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Children must arrive at B.A.S.E. no later than 9:00 am unless arrangements have been made with the director.
The preschool day is designed to offer children a balance of self-directed, open ended activities (“free play”) and teacher directed instruction that focuses on literacy, early math, science exploration and social concepts (self, family, community, traditions, etc.).
Lessons are conducted in whole groups, small groups, individually and follow the Massachusetts Preschool Guidelines for Learning Experiences and, for children ages 4.6+, the Massachusetts Common Core Frameworks, PreK.
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Activities throughout the day provide direct experiences that promote development in the following areas: Cognitive development: exemplified by solving problems, making connections, recognizing patterns, making predictions, showing conceptual understandings.
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Language development and literacy: exemplified by articulating one’s wants, needs & emotions, using language to enrich play; resolving conflict through discussion; connecting oral language to print; memorizing poems and songs, making silly words and nonsense rhymes, developing phonemic awareness, expanding one’s vocabulary and exploring various literary genres (fiction, non-fiction, fairy tales, poetry, etc); providing titles and narratives to one’s drawings and constructions and telling stories.
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Creative development: exemplified by open ended exploration of materials such as paints, clay, collage items and mixed media; finding new uses for common objects; participating in songs, music activities and dancing.
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Gross & Fine Motor Development: exemplified by using writing implements, scissors, glue, paints and other classroom materials; sewing, beading and block constructions; exploring and experimenting with one’s sense of balance, speed, strength, coordination and endurance through running, jumping, climbing and other activities in the playground and gymnasium;
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Social Development, personal care & self-help skills: exemplified by an awareness of one’s self in relationship to others; understanding the role of school, family and the community and the child’s place within these groups; understanding the need for self-regulation and personal care, such as teeth brushing, hand washing and healthy food choices; becoming more independent with self-care tasks and managing one clothes and other personal items.
