Frequently Asked Questions
-
What is Cuvilly's Full-Circle Curriculum?
Our unique curriculum - developed on-site by Cuvilly's teaching professionals - is based on the premise that the earth is our primary classroom and teacher. The farm creates an environmentally healthy embedding for our school, connecting classroom learning to real-life application. The Full Circle Curriculum teaches that everything needs food and everything becomes food in the cycle of life-death transformation. Our goal is to provide an early grounding for our students in the importance of living in harmony with nature and one another - a challenge in any age but particularly relevant as our world shrinks and natural resources become scarce.
-
How do the animals support Cuvilly's classroom curriculum?
The animals are more than a backdrop. They teach our students that eggs come from chickens (not the supermarket), that manure becomes compost to nurture vegetables and flowers, that a pig is more than a pork chop and, as such, is a living being with value in and of itself. They illustrate the interconnectedness of life, an essential theme of our curriculum. We do units on most of the animals throughout the year. With a farm assistant's help, we visit the animals for safe observation and interaction. For instance, in the spring, we watch the sheep as well as Charlie (our llama/alpaca mix) get shorn, and we visit the baby goats soon after they are born.
-
What are the learning goals for the children?
The children learn how to listen and follow directions, how to start and complete a task, and how to work in harmony with others. We also focus on waiting our turn, speaking in front of the class and learning our classmates' names. Children are exposed to letters and their sounds as well as number recognition, counting, patterning, and more. We expose our students to as many different art media, poems, stories, songs, and activities as we can. The outdoors is used as an extension of the classroom.
-
How often do the children go outdoors?
We try to go outside every day, even if it's a little rainy. Children should dress for the weather. Winter outdoor play and exploration is often a highlight for the children.
-
How do you discipline?
We redirect. We do not use "time outs," but suggest one or more alternate activities for children needing help with direction and boundaries.
-
Do you teach religion?
We do not teach the doctrine of any one religious faith. We do, however, honor our Catholic Christian tradition in the context of the mission tenets of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. We also celebrate all Christian holidays.
-
What is the Cuvilly school calendar?
We mostly follow the Ipswich Public School System calendar regarding holidays, vacations and snow days, however we do finish up a few weeks earlier. We also have different in-service days. Please check our Calendar.
-
Do volunteers help out in the classroom?
Once the children are settled into the routine of school, we welcome parent volunteers. This could mean staying for the entire school day or a part of it. It could mean organizing a special activity with the teacher's approval, or it could mean coming to be an extra pair of hands. Parents are particularly needed in the winter months, as it is a challenge to get many children ready for outdoor play.
-
May we arrange a tour of the school?
To schedule your tour of Cuvilly Arts & Earth Center's Pre-school & Kindergarten, contact School Coordinator Kate Dwyer at 978-356-4288 or email Kate@cuvilly.org.
