At Drew Nursery School, our curriculum is based on the concept of academic empowerment.  Our dedicated and highly trained staff are committed to providing students with the learning tools and techniques they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.    Our curriculum is designed to prepare our students for the increasing expectations placed on children entering kindergarten in New York State, focusing on academic, social, emotional and physical developmental areas.   Literacy skills, such as letter recognition, phonemic awareness and recognition and name spelling are a priority. Numeric readiness skills, including number recognition, counting and patterning in math are also a target area for development. Fine motor skills are emphasized as well in terms of coloring, cutting and pasting. In addition, the children learn concepts related to weather, calendar, community and holidays. The curriculum is approached through thematic units of study where students are immersed in concepts through stories and activities for a few weeks at a time.   Developed by Kent Primary School Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Lisa Chase and veteran educator and Drew head teacher Ms. Mary Beth Shirzadi, the curriculum of Drew Nursery School guides your child through the early readiness concepts while emphasizing the fundamental aspects of hands-on discovery, social interaction and learning through play.   Time-tested education techniques, such as story telling, role playing and team-oriented skill-building are combined with lessons in phonics, pattern recognition and computer-aided learning, to provide a complete readiness level for children entering their most important educational years.   Drew Nursery School programs encourage:   Fine & gross motor development Socialization Self-help Self-esteem Self-confidence Language skills Cognitive accomplishments establishing a positive attitude toward learning that will form the basis for success throughout your child's education years.   Our programs introduce:   Science Math Language Arts Cooking Arts and Crafts Storytelling Music Dramatic and creative play in order to increase your child's knowledge of the world around them and promote a sense of achievement.   Please contact our administration office for more information on Drew Nursery School's dynamic curriculum or to enroll your child in one of our programs.