Our Curriculum

St. Timothy’s curriculum is play-based and uses the best principles of both the traditional self-contained structured classroom (“homeroom”) model and the “open classroom” model, where the child is free to extend his/her interests by selecting work and play areas in various activity rooms. Our day starts in homeroom, where students play with classmates of their own age, work on daily projects with their teachers, and have circle time, which offers whole group activities such as songs, stories, and show and tell. After homeroom we have an hour of “Open Time,” during which all students have the opportunity to go from room-to-room for various math, science, and art activities that are all related to the theme of the week. They can visit the art room, snack room, science room, math room, music/yoga room and enjoy some play time in either the quiet or play rooms at their own pace, giving students of all ages the chance to play and work with each other. After Open Time, students return to their homerooms for class-specific activities and outdoor play time.

The confidence, responsibility and independence the children gain from daily Open Time experience is fascinating to see. Studies have shown that children who can move about during the school day tend to have an easier time focusing and learning. And the interaction between the younger and older students helps develop maturity and independence in the younger students and responsibility and helpfulness in the older students.