Bellwether SCHOOL
Many words could be used to describe Bellwether’s curriculum. It is emergent and play-based; it is designed to be engaging and developmentally appropriate; it supports growth in all areas of a student’s development; it is experiential and emphasizes hands-on learning; it is integrated across subjects.
Holistic Education
At Bellwether, we believe in nurturing the whole child. Our holistic approach recognizes that young children learn best when their minds, bodies, and hearts are all engaged. Through play, exploration, and meaningful experiences, we support each child’s growth across all areas of development—intellectual, social, emotional, creative, physical, and inner well-being.
We create a joyful environment where curiosity leads the way. By encouraging imagination, creativity, and wonder, we help children develop a lifelong love of learning. Our teachers build strong, caring relationships with each child, gently guiding them to ask questions, explore ideas, and make sense of the world around them.
Community is at the heart of our preschool. We help children learn to care for one another, respect differences, and understand the importance of kindness and responsibility. Through everyday interactions, children begin to see themselves as valued members of a group and develop empathy for others.
We also foster a deep connection to the natural world. Children are encouraged to explore, appreciate, and care for their environment, helping them develop a sense of stewardship that will grow with them over time.
Domains of Learning
At Bellwether, learning comes to life through meaningful, everyday experiences. We thoughtfully weave academic concepts into play, allowing children to explore, discover, and grow in ways that feel natural and joyful.
We place a strong emphasis on social and emotional development, helping children build the skills they need to navigate the world with confidence and care. Our teachers gently guide this process by modeling the language of problem-solving and introducing new ideas through role play, stories, puppetry, and thoughtful conversations.
When challenges arise, we approach them as opportunities for growth. Through restorative practices, children learn to understand their own feelings, listen to others, and build empathy—laying the foundation for strong, respectful relationships.
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Why Emergent Curriculum?
Bellwether uses an emergent curriculum as the foundation for our project and inquiry based learning. Emergent curriculum develops when exploring what is "socially relevant, intellectually engaging, and personally meaningful to children". Emergent curriculum connects learning with experience with prior learning. It includes the interests of children and responds to these interests rather than focusing on a narrow, individual, or calendar driven topic process. The curriculum typically evolves from ideas teachers bring to the classroom, observations the teacher makes of what is drawing children’s interest and a planning process by the teacher(s) to develop interdisciplinary projects. Projects allow for in-depth exploration of topics and provide a basis for understanding, making connections and for deeper thinking processes to occur. In emergent curriculum both adults and children have initiative and make decisions.
How do you Assess Learning?
We believe that the primary purpose of assessment is for the teacher to plan instruction and to deepen their relationship and understanding of each child. Teachers share this knowledge deeply in narrative form and through work sampling. By employing this type of assessment and instruction, teachers respect unique learning styles while ensuring that every student continues to grow academically, socially, and emotionally.
What is it like in the Classrooms?
Daily life at Bellwether reflects our deep respect for how young children learn best—through movement, conversation, and active exploration. Our classrooms are lively, play-based environments where the focus is on the process of learning rather than the final product, allowing children to experiment, create, and discover at their own pace.
Warm, trusting relationships are at the heart of our program. Teachers and children connect in ways that foster a sense of safety and belonging, encouraging children to express their ideas, share their feelings, and begin to practice listening to others.
Together, teachers and children help shape simple classroom expectations, giving children a sense of ownership and helping them understand the importance of caring for themselves, each other, and their space.
Our multi-age classrooms create a rich, inclusive community where children learn from one another. Younger children are inspired by older peers, while older children build confidence and empathy as they take on leadership roles. In this environment, every child has the opportunity to be both a learner and a teacher.
THE DOMAINS OF LEARNING
We honor each child’s natural curiosity and their growing desire to connect—with themselves, with others, and with the world around them. In our classrooms, teachers gently nurture these relationships through thoughtful conversation, reflection, modeling, and attentive observation.
Children are supported as they begin to understand their feelings, express themselves, and build meaningful connections with others. With guidance, they learn simple strategies for problem-solving and resolving conflicts, while gaining confidence in sharing their ideas and following their interests.
By recognizing each child’s unique strengths, we help them grow in all areas—encouraging a sense of belonging, empathy, and a joyful engagement with learning.
The Human Experience
Physical Development​
Physical development is an essential part of a young child’s learning and growth. In our preschool classrooms, children are given abundant opportunities for active play—running, climbing, balancing, and exploring both indoors and outdoors. These experiences help build strength, coordination, and confidence while supporting overall well-being.
We also thoughtfully nurture fine motor development through activities like drawing, painting, building, and working with small materials. These skills lay the foundation for early writing, problem-solving, and independence.
By integrating movement throughout the day, we support the connection between physical growth and learning—helping children develop focus, body awareness, and the confidence to fully engage with the world around them.
Ecological Understanding and Scientific Inquiry
Through hands-on, play-based experiences, children begin to explore science as a way of wondering, discovering, and making sense of the world around them. Whether observing nature, experimenting with materials, or asking “why,” children are encouraged to follow their curiosity and share their ideas.
With gentle guidance, they begin to ask questions, make simple predictions, and explore what happens next—building the foundations of early scientific thinking in ways that feel natural and engaging.
As they explore, children also develop a growing appreciation for the natural world and an understanding that everything is connected. Through these everyday discoveries, they learn to observe closely, think creatively, and delight in the process of learning.
Service learning occurs through a cycle of action and reflection, the fundamental elements of experiential learning. Students work with others applying what they learn to community issues. They reflect upon their experience as they seek to achieve real objectives for others as well as a deeper understanding of themselves and their ability to make a difference in their community.
Service Learning
Artistic Expression
Children express and represent their ideas, experiences, and emotions to make meaning of and to demonstrate their understanding and knowledge of the world. With an emphasis on the creative process, children explore and work with a variety of materials. The visual arts, music, and drama are all integral parts of the educational experience at Bellwether. Children find ways to communicate through artistic mediums while building an appreciation for aesthetic beauty.
Language Development
In our early childhood classroom, children begin to develop language and literacy in meaningful, joyful ways. Through conversation, storytelling, songs, and play, they learn to express their thoughts, share ideas, and connect with others.
We recognize that communication takes many forms. Children use words, gestures, drawings, and dramatic play to make meaning, while teachers gently model and support growing language skills throughout the day.
Books and literature are a cherished part of our daily rhythm. Through read-alouds and shared stories, children build vocabulary, develop listening skills, and begin to understand different perspectives and emotions.
As their confidence grows, children are encouraged to express their own ideas—through storytelling, early writing, and imaginative play—laying a strong and joyful foundation for lifelong literacy.
Social Studies​
Young children begin to explore the world around them starting with themselves, their families, and their classroom community. As their understanding grows, they start to notice how people live, work, and play in different communities near and far.
Through stories, dramatic play, and hands-on activities, children discover ideas about culture, traditions, and the ways people interact with one another and the world. Simple maps, explorations of local neighborhoods, and imaginative role-play help children make connections between themselves and the larger world.
By engaging with history, geography, and different cultures in playful and meaningful ways, children develop curiosity, empathy, and a sense of belonging. These experiences also lay the foundation for cultural competence, helping children learn to respect differences, appreciate diversity, and see the value of multiple perspectives from an early age.
At Bellwether, we know that math is all around young children—and that the best learning happens through play and hands-on exploration. In our classrooms, children encounter mathematical concepts naturally as they build with blocks, complete puzzles, compare sizes and shapes, count objects, divide materials, and explore measuring and sorting.
Teachers also support learning with intentional activities and thoughtfully chosen materials, helping children notice patterns, explore numbers, and discover relationships in the world around them. Children are encouraged to express their mathematical thinking through talking, drawing, and playful problem-solving.
Through these experiences, children develop early number sense, counting skills, geometry awareness, measurement understanding, and pattern recognition, while also building problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills. Math becomes a joyful, meaningful part of daily life, laying the foundation for a lifelong love of learning.