Newton, MA
West Newton Children's Center

Discipline

OVERALL RATING (5.0)

Parents at this school, on average, believe that conflicts between children:
...are handled extraordinarily well in a way that not only gives me confidence in the safety of my child but also reassures me that my child (and his/her peers) are learning the early skills needed to socialize effectively with one another

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Director's Description to School's Approach to Discipline

Our main goal is to have the child learn from each situation by letting them know that it is our job as teachers to keep them happy and safe. When certain behaviors are displayed such as standing on a chair or pushing another child we might say 'Oh, did you forget that chairs are not for standing on. I need you to climb down. Remenber my job is to keep you safe.' Or a teacher might say 'Bodies are not for pushing. That might hurt my friend. We may ask both parties to come to the piece table to find out more about the incident. If a child is feeling very sad or out of control we may take them for a walk to give them time to calm down.

Director's Response to a Sample Discipline Scenario

Description of how teachers handle the following scenario: Child A and Child B are good friends and usually play together. One day, Child A decides to play with Child C and tells Child B, 'I don't want to play with you today. I'm playing with Child C instead.'


A teacher may explain that when a child is left out of play it can hurt their feelings. Ask the child who is excluding another child if they might be able to find a project or activity that more children can participate in. If any child's feelings are hurt, we validate that child's feelings by telling them that we are so sorry that you're sad and that it's sometimes hard when a friend doesn't feel like playing. If the situation can't be resolved by redirecting the children, we ask the children to come to our 'Peace' Table to share their feelings about the situation. Our peace table is our designated area for conflict resolution. Our peace table has proven very successful in most conflicts, and all parties usually walk away feeling good.

Health

OVERALL RATING (4.0)
Temperature and overall air circulation is comfortable
Healthy and nutritious snacks are provided More >
Toys and furniture are cleaned regularly

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Safety

OVERALL RATING (3.0)
Screen and identify all visitors
Parents may not bring sick children to school where they may infect others

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Montessori? Waldorf? Play-based?

What school type is right for your child? Is one model better than another? What does the research say?

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This is a great memento from the holiday season. Dip your child's hand in white paint and press (read more)

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