Learning through play

We went to the open house and curriculum night at the girls school this week. There they discussed their learning through play philosophy. I agree with this philosophy because for children play is work. Through play children learn and discover things at their own speed, I get that but I also have issues.
It should not surprise any one that I have issues because I have strong opinions about early childhood education. Even though the kids are learning through play there should be things in the classroom environment to promote literacy and basic math skills. To promote literacy everything in the classroom should be clearly labeled with pictures and print so that the children can make the connection between the object and the word. Through labeling the child comes to realize that text carries meaning. This also helps with some basic skills including categorization and organization.
I was also surprised that there was no calendar . It seems to me that a calendar should be a staple in a preschool classroom so the days of the week can be taught. How better to teach the language of time? "Today is Monday, Yesterday was Sunday we did not have school." "On Wednesday we will have music with Miss Carolyn, what instruments do you think she will bring?" That little exchange, using a calendar as a visual cue, has just touched on several language concepts, past, present and future tenses, as well as prediction and sequencing. While it teaches the language of time as well as basic math skills, counting the number of days in any given month is just the tip of the iceberg. A calendar can be used to teach patterning, sequencing, counting by two's, five's etc. and it can also be used as a way of discussing holidays which impact the school schedule.
Can you tell I am slightly passionate about this topic? I am truly shocked that these elements are not part of the girls classroom experience. I am by no means suggesting that these elements should become the primary focus of any child's classroom but they should be included in any classroom routine to enhance the learning experience. As I was reading through the curriculum goals, I noted several goals that related directly to the language of time and no direct evidence in the classroom to target these goals on a regular basis. I am concerned. I am concerned because these basic elements will not negatively impact play, if anything it will increase the language the kids are using while they are playing. It may even increase their overall level of communication about their day.
Don't get me started on the communication aspect within the classroom because my head might explode. Yes, really my head will explode. I am a Speech Pathologist I can not help it, it is in my blood and it shows because my kids communicate well and they are getting better every day. They are getting better every day because I ask them questions about their day every day. When Matt comes home I have them tell him about their day. School days are hard for me because I have no idea what the kids do. We get a news letter at the end of the week which gives us a small amount of details about their week. Because of my language background this is not enough and it should not be enough for the other parents either. Am I the only parent who talks to their child? I was talking to a friend whose son goes to another school and she gets a news letter at the start of the week that tells the parent what the theme is and what they expect to cover during the week including the books they are reading. I did the same thing when I taught preschool to keep the parents involved in our classroom activities.
I remember when the girls started school last year I had several misgivings and I was right. At that time I made a promise to myself and to Matt that I would not just let the things that I perceived as important slide because I did not want to make waves. I know that I do not want my kids to be taught by a teacher who will drill them all day on their ABC's and 123's and I am happy that the school does not employ this educational philosophy but I worry that they are taking the play philosophy too far and not incorporating some of basic educational elements. I know that when the girls are developmentally ready to perform certain tasks they will, I simply want them exposed to more language opportunities related to time, literacy, and math . Is that too much to ask?