Each preschool day is three hours - after which the children's energy is vanishing. During that time, transitions follow the interests and physiological needs of children. Snack food is always available, but we still have regular family snack period with an assortment of fruit, vegetables and grains. Snack time is viewed as part of our regular early childhood curriculum: a social leisurely paced time; food quantity tailored to each child's actual needs and eaten slowly (food is discovery and risk-taking). Children learn how to converse and get to know one another in a different social context.

We always have a group time in every session whereby anyone, child or adult, may join. Adults then witness the skills and knowledge of our teachers as they facilitate decision making by offering 2 or 3 choices depending on the climate of the day and the growing group experience of the children. Will it be dancing, music, a game, rest or conversation? Consensus is the goal. Often children spontaneously start talking or choose to have a conversation. Our teachers are very adept at facilitating the process of informal conversation. They achieve group cohesion not its conformity, which requires an adult to keep 'control' of children by having them raise hands, nor a laissez faire approach in which any given child is in control for the sake of control. From a natural self-centered talk, eventually a topic emerges that promises to be worthwhile and substantial to pursue, so most or all of the children can be interested in it, contribute, respect or respond to each other's ideas, theories, comments or stories. There are no 'taboo' discussions. Our teachers' role is to keep things fluidly on track, clarify ideas, language or issues, and probe further in a Socratic fashion, when necessary. One can only be silently awed to see children's own best thinking and linguistic expression at work!

Group story reading has the same quality standard in the children's participation. Anyone can comment, suggest, predict and discuss. The teachers balance the author's intent and the child's contribution. They are alert to their linguistic expression and each one's understanding of story development, the characters displayed, awareness of themes and the relationships of picture to text. Our teachers can change the mood or language to integrate children's suggestive comments.

Both group and story times are forms of play as it is open-ended and greatly experimental for children. Their main objective is the cultivation of a maturing brain. In practice, group and story times enrich imagination, language and appreciation of literature. At the same time these activities differentiate inner fantasy from diverse related experiences while enjoying both. At times, a child's reflection on perceptions and observations, be it invented or real, creates greater understanding of the self, others and the environment.

The only celebration officially sanctioned by Our School is children's birthdays. Birthdays touch children very personally as milestones of their growth and maturity. Other celebrations, such as religious, historical or traditional ones are not included in our curriculum. Still, if individual children, on their own, want to mention, discuss, bring objects or food that are expressions of their personal backgrounds - as they often do - it is welcomed as it adds interest, knowledge and awareness of the diversity of experience.