Tot Time’s Class Schedule

9-9:30- Arrival/Tabletop Time

9:30-10- Morning Meeting (Circle Time and Story Time)

10- 10:45- Choice time/Play time & Craft

10:45-11:00- Clean Up Time

11:00-11:15- Snack Time

11:15-11:45- Outside Play/Dismissal

The 3’s & 4’s Class

LEARNING IN MULTI-AGE ENVIRONMENTS

Children aged three to six years learn together in one classroom. The age span provides the following advantages:

  • Older children learn to help others by sharing expertise with patience when showing their younger peers how to complete an activity. 
  • Since verbal, reasoning, and social skills develop at an individual pace, teachers can create flexible multi-aged learning groups tailored to challenge each child based on their readiness.
  • Mentoring younger students help older students develop mastery, empathy, and caring.

The students follow a schedule filled with music, play, sensory art, movement, and pre-readiness activities. There is an assistant in the class. The curriculum is theme based and follows the Creative Curriculum. The class size is small (10 kids). The program embraces a whole-child philosophy where both individual and group activities are utilized. The program teaches basic preschool concepts through play and hands-on experiences. The class is a full year program. Payment is made in 9 installments times.

The Two’s Class

Tot Time also offers a 2’s class for children. There is a three day and a two day option that meets at 9:00-11:45am. The classroom is separate from the 3/4′ s class, with a class size of 8. It provides the children with their first social and learning opportunities away from home. Our staff provides a nurturing and loving environment.

Staff

Head Teacher- Rachel Gerstman

Rachel has been teaching for over ten years in many different pre-k classes as an Early Childhood teacher, a Special Education teacher and reading specialist. She has a bachelor’s degree in special education from NYU and a master’s degree in Reading from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. She is an ABA therapist, trained in the VB and Greenspan Approach.

She lives in North Salem and is a mother of two wonderful boys and a maltipoodle. Her oldest son, Ethan, attends Fordham law school and her youngest son, Benjamin, is a freshman at Skidmore College, studying business and economics.

Rachel has a passion for reading, art, and Lego play. When she is not teaching, she enjoys walking her dog, crafting, reading and baking!

Assistant Teacher– Gabrielle O’Loughlin

Gabrielle graduate from Plattsburgh State with a BSW in social work. After college she worked for two years at Theracare. An agency that facilitated early intervention services. Gabrielle continued her passion for working with children and became a nanny for wonderful families in Armonk and Somers for over 10 years. 

Gabrielle lives in North Salem and is a mother of two girls that both attend PQ. She enjoys quality time with her family; hiking going to water parks and riding bikes.