Julie Heroff teaches a class of 20 four-year-old students at Castle Elementary in Oakdale. They recently gave the Pioneer Press a peek at a typical preschool day:
12:45 p.m.: ‘TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR’
Singing is an essential part of a preschooler’s day. Class begins, ends and is dominated by short, catchy songs that help guide students through.
Heroff’s class begins with a quick snack of Goldfish crackers and milk before students gather on a carpet in front of an interactive whiteboard for “circle time.”
Heroff sings: “Eyes are watching, ears are listening, voices are quiet …” to grab the class’ attention.
First up is the question of the day: “What is your favorite color leaf?” Heroff asks.
Students volunteer: “Red, yellow … purple.”
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To the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” Heroff sings: “Little leaf, little leaf, fly fly fly…” Students toss little paper leaves in the air and try to catch them as they dance around.
Heroff displays a tally of which colors students chose as their favorites. Student Gabriel Skaar is asked to count them up. “Which color did the most students like? Which color got the fewest votes?”
12:55 p.m.: LESSON IN RESPONSIBILITY
Students learn their responsibilities for the day on a whiteboard, where a job chart has their names and faces next to their chore. Jobs include line leader, door holder, cleanup helper.
“If you’re a student it’s your job to focus your attention and you’ll have a really great day,” Heroff reminds the class through song.
Calendar is next. Heroff displays the date, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, and the class says it in unison. They clap their hands and sing “Days of the Week” to the tune of TV’s “The Addams Family” theme.
Student Noah Suilabayu is in charge of telling students about the weather.
“Did you wear a coat to school?” Heroff asks. Students discuss the cool fall day and how they’re now wearing long sleeves and pants to school instead of shorts and T-shirts.
1:05 p.m.: LETTERS AND BOOKS
Mannan Asif tells the class the letter of the week is H. Students make a breathy H sound together.
Lydia Pettey leads the class in an alliteration game, noting that “horse” and “house” sound the same.
For story time, the book of the day is “Fall Leaves Fall.” Samantha Carlson is asked: “Where does the story take place?”
Lydia tells the class she likes to jump in a pile of leaves.
Heroff reminds the class that winter is on the way and there will soon be snow to play in.
1:15 p.m.: UNDERSTANDING WITH ACTIVITIES
For activity time the class is divided into three groups of six students. One group goes outside with Maggie Butler, the class education assistant, to gather leaves for a collage.
Another group sits at a table and colors leaves and works on writing their names.
The third group stays on the carpet with Heroff, who talks with students about how they are feeling today. “Are you happy? Are you sad? What’s another feeling?” One student responds: “Grumpy.”
This is part of the district’s Second Step curriculum, which helps students improve their social-emotional skills. Heather Sanders, the district’s early learning coordinator, says this helps students understand and talk about their feelings with staff and other students.
Heroff asks each student to pick a card with a feeling on it. They hold it up and she takes their picture to add to a book of feelings students will discuss throughout the year.
1:30 p.m.: ‘ACTIVE LEARNING’
Playtime is an essential part of preschool. Students get 45 minutes a day of free play, or “active learning.”
Heroff rotates a wide selection of toys and games at various play stations. There are areas for painting, blocks, action figures, dramatic play, tables where students can draw or use Play-Doh.
Heroff and Butler guide the students through the play areas and watch the interaction between students. Sometimes they intervene as a mediator or referee, but the goal is for students to work out disagreements on their own.
“You have to have those interactions to learn to solve problems,” Heroff says.
Playtime is also a chance for specialist Sally Glick to come into the classroom and work one-on-one with students who are learning English.
Heroff’s students speak five languages other than English. Some don’t speak at all during class, and Glick is there to help them improve their verbal skills.
2:15 p.m.: KEEPING TO SCHEDULE
Heroff keeps her class on a strict schedule because, she says, students thrive when they can predict what comes next. Different types of timekeepers are used to structure the day, including an easy-to-read clock timer that signals the end of playtime.
When it’s time to clean up, calm music begins to play and Mannan reminds his classmates it’s time to put toys away. It’s clear students are accustomed to this routine because the chaos the classroom had fallen into quickly returns to order.
Heroff uses small curtains that attach to the front of toy shelves to keep distractions to a minimum during other activities.
2:20 p.m.: STORY TIME
After the room is cleaned up, students gather again on the carpet for circle time. Today’s story is “If You Give a Dog a Donut,” and Heroff uses the text to emphasize the meanings of some of the more difficult words.
After the class has gotten the hang of the words, Heroff challenges them to go faster: “Tangled, bandana, pirate, pitch, celebrate, glove,” the class says quickly in unison.
Samantha, the day’s “Story Star,” is asked to describe the setting of “If You Give a Dog a Donut.” Heroff coaches her until she settles on “house,” which brings the class back to the letter of the day, H.
2:30 p.m.: HEADING OUTDOORS FOR FUN
A school day wouldn’t be complete without time for outdoor recess. Students put on their coats and hats and line up single file. As they go down the hall, they hold their hands aloft, opening and closing their fists, to keep them quiet and focused and to minimize disruption to other students.
Outside, Heroff’s class has the run of a new playground of slides, swings and a big plastic jungle gym. Students welcome the chance to burn off some energy.
3 p.m.: ENCORE! ENCORE!
The day ends as it began. After recess, students gather for a singalong. The day’s numbers include: “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum,” “Princess Pat,” “The Grizzly Bears,” “Mother Gooney Bird” and “Hi, My Name is Joe.”
Heroff says not only is singing fun for the children, it gives her more control than if she just talked.
“It grabs their attention,” Heroff said. “I can say all I want to say. As soon as I start singing, I’ve got their attention and focus.”
3:15 p.m.: TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
All but three of Heroff’s 20 students ride the bus to and from school. Older students from throughout the building come to help the preschoolers get to their buses. This is another way Castle tries to build community.
Heroff goes through this routine nine times a week, with a morning class that meets on five days and an afternoon class that meets on four. After lunch on Fridays, she spends time collaborating with other teachers.