This program is located at the Hawthorne Campus in the Community Congregational Church classroom space. This program was established to meet the specific developmental needs of 4- and 5-year-olds and developing skills not only for successful transition to grade school, but to instill a love of learning, and promote optimal social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.  Our play-based curriculum introduces new concepts and knowledge through high interest theme-based projects throughout the year. Each year, the projects are inspired and refreshingly varied, as the teachers learn about the children’s interests. Through guided activities and play, teachers scaffold learning and support the children’s increasing abilities across each developmental domain (social-emotional, cognition – including math, science and executive function, language, and literacy, physical, and arts/sensory). Reading and math readiness skills are reinforced through a variety of activities, listening to stories, dictating, labeling, sequencing, and music. Children build a strong foundation of curiosity and learning, which then continue to aid in accommodating new and more complex subject matter in subsequent years. During these years, children are moving from independent and parallel play to cooperative play, and our experienced teachers provide scaffolding to strengthen emotional and executive functioning for goal-oriented collaborations, imperative for school readiness and becoming life-long learners. Children are encouraged and supported to accept responsibilities, and have active roles in their classroom, and continue to gain skills for independence and self-regulation.