The Country Day School Preschool

EDITOR’S NOTE: We’ve been featuring local private & independent schools through our School Spotlight series for over a year now, but have recently started a new special Preschool Edition! We hope to expand this series to include more state-licensed preschools in Huntsville and Madison County, and are excited to grow our education coverage to include more options for local students & their parents.

Find out more about Country Day School’s Preschool program via our Q&A with Stacie Naff, Educational Director at CDS.

Website: www.country-day.com
Location 1699 Old Dry Creek Road; Huntsville, AL 35806
Facebook page: The Country Day School
Ages of Students: Two and a half through 5 years old
Religious Affiliation: none
Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:10

Teacher Credentials:
Child Development Degree, Early Childhood Degree, Reggio trained, Montessori certified, First Aid Certified, CPR Certified

Please describe your school’s mission.
“We learn, not for school but for life.”

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Describe a typical day of a preschooler.
The children arrive around 8:00 and have an early morning snack and time to explore and choose activities in the classroom. There is a Morning Meeting where each class discusses plans for the day, project work, and special classes. The morning consists of project work, small group learning activities, and specialty classes. Examples of specialty classes are Music, Library, Mandarin Chinese, and Fitness. Students also get time to play and socialize outside on the playground. In the middle of the school day it is lunch and naptime. When students get up from nap they have an afternoon snack. The afternoon is spent playing outside or working/playing in the classroom.

Meals & Potty Training

Parents pack a lunchbox every day and food can be microwaved.
If a child has a food allergy that is posted in the classroom and the café. Those children are seated at a table that is separate from the other students.

What is your potty training policy?
We do not take students who are not potty trained.

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What is your school’s predominant educational philosophy?
We work to create a program that adapts, changes, and grows to meet the individual needs of learners. We value children’s active participation in their own knowledge.

Describe your admissions process.
Parents call or email with inquiries about the school. They set up a school tour. During the tour the educational philosophy of the school is discussed and the parents receive information regarding registration. Many times a potential student visits the school for a trial day. Registration is then completed and the student begins at Country Day.

The Staff

The Country Day School is the only Reggio preschool in North Alabama. The Reggio approach gives children a very enriched and beautiful environment. The teachers listen to and observe the children and pose questions so they can research and learn new things. The approach requires children to be seen as competent, resourceful, imaginative and inventive and to possess a desire to interact and communicate with others. Our staff has trained in Italy and at numerous seminars around the U.S.

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Stephenie Walker

Stephenie has worked with and around books and authors for over 12 years, both at retail booksellers and public libraries. She is a rare Huntsville native, mother of two high-energy boys, wife of one, and eerily addicted to community volunteering. When she's not being the Managing Editor for RCM she likes to stalk her favorite authors online, cook with way too much butter, and also manages to conduct freelance marketing and PR work.