Programs





Nursery 1

Our Nursery team is specifically trained to recognize and encourage the developmental stages of the first two years of life. Emphasis is placed upon bonding relationships, trust and nurturing, overall safety and physical well-being, language and individual growth.

We do not inflict our schedule on infants, but instead allow the infant to develop his own personal pattern for each day. Sanitizing procedures, involving toys, equipment, and furniture are a conscientious and continuous practice. We go outside each and every day, weather permitting as recommended by NYSOCFS and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This may be only a brief walk around the circle in our buggy or a more extended stay in the back fenced play yard.

Communication is vigorously maintained between teachers and families. Each day you will receive a report outlining your child's routine of naps, bottles and meals as well as caregivers' comments. It is also important to plan plenty of time to drop off and pick up for exchange of information.

You will be expected to supply disposable diapers, wipes, bottles, baby food and a blanket. This blanket is to go home each week to be washed. Laundering of bed linens is the responsibility of the Center. We encourage you to send a infant type toothbrush so we may brush your baby's teeth or gums daily.

As your child reaches the stage of eating table food, lunch and snack will be provided by the Center and gradually real food will be introduced. This is usually done by supplementing baby food with a portion of mashed table food until the child can obtain enough nutrition from the table food alone.

Curriculum is the daily activity, both planned and unplanned, which happens within a group. The curriculum in Nursery 1 is woven around the daily needs of very young children - maintaining their health, nutrition and comfort throughout the day. For instance, diapering time is also a time for lots of repetitive speech, sound games and giggling. Bottle time might include chanting, singing or just lots of cuddly eye contact. In between it is important that the babies spend lots of time on their bellies and backs exercising all those new muscles.

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Nursery 2

Our Nursery team is specifically trained to recognize and encourage the developmental stages of the first two years of life. Emphasis is placed upon bonding relationships, trust and nurturing, overall safety and physical well-being, language and individual growth. We go outside each and every day, weather permitting, as recommended by NYSOCFS and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This may mean a short walk in our buggy or an extended romp in our fenced play yard.

Communication is essential between teachers and families. Each day you will receive a report outlining your child's routine of naps, bottles and meals as well as caregivers' comments. It is also important to plan plenty of time to drop off and pick up for exchange of information.

You will be expected to supply disposable diapers, wipes, bottles, and a blanket. This blanket is to go home each week to be washed. Laundering of bed linens is the responsibility of the Center. We provide a nutritional home cooked lunch each day. We encourage you to send a toddler type toothbrush so we may brush your baby's teeth daily.

By the time your baby reaches Nursery 2 he or she will probably be walking, or at least cruising around the furniture in the room. Insuring a safe environment in which to practice these new skills becomes the primary curriculum. These children are learning to push, pull, carry, climb and throw - all while maintaining their balance!

While exploring the many new materials in the room, these children are also acquiring the new words that go along with it. Language! The most important curriculum in any room - and this is where they acquire most of the words they will ever learn.

The Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP-R) and Early Learning Accomplishment Profile instruments are used to perform child assessments in October and April for each child age 0 - 5 years. The purpose of these assessments is to determine each child's developmental strengths and weaknesses and assist the teachers in curriculum planning. Teachers also compile and maintain an educational portfolio on each child, consisting of examples of daily work, photos, and anecdotal observations. You will be given an opportunity to discuss your child's progress at a parent-teacher conference following each assessment period.

The changes that take place during this year of life are amazing! By the time the children are leaving Nursery 2 they are walking, talking, little social beings - Toddlers!

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Toddlers

Toddler teachers specialize in building positive self-esteem, encouraging language development, introducing social skills and independent toileting. The best style of education for this group is through teacher guided play. Toddlers are explorers and our teachers have developed a creative environment and program worthy of their daily adventures. Each day a curriculum of songs, finger plays, stories, science, creative art and gross motor activities is incorporated to round out your child's experience. Discipline is handled exclusively through intervention and redirection.

When your child becomes verbal and displays readiness signs we will begin "potty training". Group potty training obtains results through encouragement, repetitiveness and positive rewards for ANY effort.

The Toddler schedule is very similar to that of preschool with an active curriculum morning and afternoon, two snacks, lunch and naptime. Due to the nature of Toddlers, however, our activities are shorter, more physical and hands on, very flexible and interspersed with more toileting time.

The Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP-R) and Early Learning Accomplishment Profile instruments are used to perform child assessments in October and April for each child age 0 - 5 years. The purpose of these assessments is to determine each child's developmental strengths and weaknesses and assist the teachers in curriculum planning. Teachers also compile and maintain an educational portfolio on each child, consisting of examples of daily work, photos, and anecdotal observations. You will be given an opportunity to discuss your child's progress at a parent-teacher conference following each assessment period.

Welcome to the toddler room! Hope your ready for lots of noisy fun and active learning!

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Preschool 1 & 2

THE CONCEPT: We operate preschool programs with emphasis on whole language, emergent curriculum and kindergarten readiness. Children engaged in the whole language process develop the understanding that words can be spoken as well as heard and written as well as read. As children use language to actively explore the world around them, converting early experiences into words, emergent curriculum evolves. Teachers observe interests and use this information to develop lesson plans and extend the learning into all developmental skill areas.

THE TEACHERS: The task of the teacher is to continually assess what the children are learning and extend their understanding through enriched activities and experiment. The children remain with the same Teacher for both preschool years. In this way the teacher gains a good understanding of the child's ability and can develop lesson plans to suit individual learning styles.

The Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP-R) and Early Learning Accomplishment Profile instruments are used to perform child assessments in October and April for each child age 0 - 5 years. The purpose of these assessments is to determine each child's developmental strengths and weaknesses and assist the teachers in curriculum planning. Teachers also compile and maintain an educational portfolio on each child, consisting of examples of daily work, photos, and anecdotal observations. You will be given an opportunity to discuss your child's progress at a parent-teacher conference following each assessment period.

THE SCHEDULE: Our preschool morning is spent primarily in the classroom learning centers. Each center contains a variety of educational materials, which are changed daily or weekly, to reflect the current curriculum and maintain children's interests. During this time teachers are involved in assisting and extending the children's participation in activities of their own choosing. This type of teacher facilitated -- child initiated play helps the child develop critical thinking and problem solving skills.

The entire group comes together mid morning for a brief circle time. The children enjoy active movement exercises, sing group songs, learn finger plays and sign language, enjoy stories and participate in a group discussion led by the teachers.

During the period from 11:30 to 1:00 the room is cleaned, children toilet and wash up, eat lunch together family style, clear their dishes, and brush teeth. Then a story telling time eases the transition to naptime, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. After an initial rest period children who remain awake may be provided with quiet activities. The afternoon is then spent in learning centers provided with alternative choices.

THE CURRICULUM: Emergent curriculum is supported through encouragement of the children's ideas, questions and interests. Emergent curriculum takes shape week by week with teachers thoughtfully making plans that draw on the children's interests and personalities. Teachers constantly observe and evaluate what the children are doing and learning and then arrange materials that extend the child-initiated exploration. Daily activity plans developed from learning webs insure that activities include social, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, cultural and physical criteria. As the children's themes develop, Big Books are selected to incorporate the whole language concept through the use of pictures and predictable stories. Emergent curriculum evolves from independent learning centers which are:

Science - This center includes opportunities for categorizing and analyzing. Children expand their knowledge of the world around them through hands on experiments.

Math - This center is supplied with board games for counting, rulers, scales and other measuring equipment, sequencing and sorting activities, 'links' and 'mosaic'

Reading - A reading enriched environment is essential to the Whole Language concept. Aside from the obvious books, reading in this center can be done from story posters and photo albums.

Writing - This center is situated within our reading center to encourage the relationship between reading and writing. Children write letters, messages, correspondence such as thank you notes and get well cards, and occasionally create their own stories and books.

Music - Child focused tapes and records are playing continuously. In addition we have a listening center with storytelling records and books, band instruments, and our puppet stage.

Housekeeping - This center reinforces children's social learning and helps them to work through familiar or troubling situations. Although the equipment in other centers change, this area remains constant because home is a constant in a child's life.

Drama - Drama can be as complicated as a grocery store or as simple as a wedding. We use prop boxes to incorporate drama. This allows us the flexibility to change drama as frequently as the children's ideas

Small Motor - Simple items such as Fisher Price equipment, Dinosaur Mountain and Legos provide a multitude of learning experiences as well as development of the fine motor skills needed for writing.

Large Motor - Big growing muscles need plenty of exercise to develop coordination and remain healthy. This center contains a climber, balance beam and a gym mat.

Computer - This is a new center for new times and we are encouraged about the possibilities. We currently have only one computer and limited software, however, this area is targeted for additional equipment soon.

Lounge - This is our 'quiet area' because children, like adults, need to be alone occasionally to reflect and relax. Books make a nice addition to this area to encourage quiet reading.

Blocks - are not just for building! This center involves math, imagination and cooperative play.

Art - A child's self concept is strongly reflected in their ability to use art forms for free expression of feelings and to organize and expand upon what they learn. Imagination allows the expansion of creative possibilities through various mediums, color combinations and tactile experiences.

Outdoors - Time spent outdoors can be a valuable learning experience for preschoolers. This is the time for hands on exploration of nature, working together as a team, enhancement of large motor skills and is generally everyone's favorite learning center.

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School - Age

Children, arriving each day before and after school on buses provided by Lake Shore Central Transportation, are accommodated with a multiple choice program geared to the social needs of this age group. These activities usually include sports, games, painting and cooking. We make an effort to allow as much freedom of choice as possible in response to the very structured day they spend at school.

Our teachers plan special all day activities and events for summer vacation and school holidays. These days allow more time for special curriculum and even field trips during the summer. The children may enjoy organizing a car wash, writing a class newspaper, celebrating earth day with a recycling project, creating a snow sculpture, or perhaps a trip to the rock quarry to find their own fossils.

School age children and their parents are expected to sign a behavior contract that states the class rules and expectations, the discipline policy and steps which will be taken upon repeated infractions. This is for the safety and security of all the children involved, please support out teachers as they endeavor to make our school age program a fun place for everyone.

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Continuity of Care

It is important to your child's well being to develop a special bond with his or her primary caregivers - not just Mom and Dad but childcare teachers as well. It is also important for parents and childcare teachers to foster an effective alliance. We encourage these relationships by keeping our groups small and our teachers with the same children for at least three years. Each year in June your child and his or her class will move to the next classroom. We expect the same teacher to remain with a class from birth to preschool, and some may continue on through preschool to kindergarten. Our center is divided into six classes, each specifically designed to support the needs of a specific age group, as follows:

Nursery 1 - Less than One on December 1

Nursery 2 - One year old by December 1

Toddlers - Two years old by December 1

Preschool 1 - Three years old by December 1

Preschool 2 - Four years old by December 1

School Age - Five years old by December 1 (and entering elementary school)

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