

Curiosity & Concentration
"We’re going on a mushroom hunt …
Gonna find a big one!
What a beautiful day!
We’re not scared
Yesterday we counted over 20 mushrooms on our walk. Cries of ‘I found a mushroom!’ can be heard along almost any walk through the grass these days, even playing with sticks has lead to the discovery of jelly fungus.
With each excited discovery, the children are building their observant eye, feeling the joy in ‘finding’, and becoming budding naturalists."
~Lead Preschool Teacher, excerpt from blog post
BOPN promotes curiosity & concentration by...
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BOPN promotes curiosity & concentration by...
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creating units of study based on each class's unique interests
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modeling wonder at the world
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asking questions about the environment
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giving children uninterrupted time to deeply engage with their activities

Resilience
"With lumbered steps, the branch inched its way across the day's adventure spot. Crawl...pant...crawl ..pant. The heavy breaths of the youth evidenced their determination and strength. One of the older students recognized the need for leadership and stepped up, giving pointed instructions to the group, guiding them through the diverse terrain.
The children worked together, often stopping for breaks, for thirty minutes. Though the class encountered many difficulties, eventually they succeeded in building their fort. "
~Lead Preschool Teacher, excerpt from daily note to parents
BOPN promotes curiosity & concentration by...
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BOPN students gain resilience through...
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persevering on long hikes
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spending time outdoors in all weather
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working with "unpredictable" materials, such as sticks, when building
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emulating their older peers in a mixed-age setting

Independence
"I'm grateful that at BOPN my daughter and all the preschool children have the time and space to learn self-help skills. At home, in a rush, I often dress my daughter. At school, the teachers provide time to grow. Yesterday at school, my daughter happily put on her rain boots first - no socks, no snow pants. She wanted to get outside after nap and fast. But…hmm…the socks didn't fit over the boots and neither did the snow pants.
The skilled staff allowed her to experiment in order to grow her independence and internalize the process needed for getting ready."
~BOPN Parent
BOPN promotes curiosity & concentration by...
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BOPN students learn independence by...
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taking care of their own belongings
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learning to assess the needs of their own body and act on their conclusions
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negotiating play agreements with their peers
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choosing their own educational tasks for each day
Ages 2.9 - 4 years
Location: Wellesley, JP/Roslindale
Mixed Age Program
"My son is so excited to share what he learned when I pick him up each day. He's more inquisitive, independent, and fearless than he was before. Since attending preschool at BOPN, he seeks 'activities' rather than asking for screen time."
~BOPN Parent