Children's Center

"The Center provides a state-licensed, high quality program, offering pre-school programs and/or full-day child care under the direction of a well-qualified staff. All staff members are carefully screened and investigated before being hired. The staff consists of a full-time director, a lead-teacher for each class, and a few other part-time “teachers�. All of the teachers are hired based on their ability to teach and model aspects of the Christian faith, and because of particular personality characteristics such as warmth, gentleness, a high motivation to work with young children, as well as for their experience in providing child care.



The Center also has an executive board. All board members are in place for the purpose of consulting and advising on any and all issues concerning the center's policies and practices. All matters concerning the center are to be brought to the director first, and if necessary the director will then consult with the executive board.



The center's different “classrooms� offer a developmentally- appropriate program that seeks to meet each child's individual needs according to his/her own growth and development. Age-appropriate developmental skills checklists are used as guidelines for preparing lesson plans and activities in each classroom and for establishing appropriate expectations. These checklists also serve as communication tools for teachers and parents at parent-teacher conference time, held at least once per year, to enable awareness of each child's progress and/or developmental needs.



A goal of the Center is to help children develop a healthy self esteem. We also seek to help each child learn the social skills needed to be able to respect other people, while also learning to respectfully express his/her own needs and desires. We also hope to broaden their appreciation of the beauty and value of our world and its peoples - in all its diversity, as well as to have them discover the excitement of learning and discovering as much as they are able to and ready for. We believe that when we instill Christian values all of these goals will be accomplished naturally.



Though our program has a strong structure, it is also play-based, because “play� IS children's work and is their way of learning about and experiencing the world. The activities offered to the children revolve around a weekly or monthly theme as appropriate and/or as possible to provide focus and continuity. Both structured times and free-choice times are planned for each day so that the children learn to cooperate with what is expected within their environment but are also allowed the freedom to learn to make their own choices and to play and work independently and to be self-motivated.



Active parent participation and involvement are welcomed and encouraged at the center. Parents are welcome to spend as much time in the classroom with their child (ren) as they are able to - visiting, observing, helping out with special events when needed, etc. It is also hoped and expected that you will communicate often and freely with the teachers and also the director regarding any issue related to the child (ren)'s development and about the center and its activities.



Thank you for letting us share in the lives of your precious children. We realize what an important decision it is to choose a “school� for your children, and we want to make it a pleasant and beneficial experience for all concerned.



Welcome to the Children's Center. On the pages to follow, the center's policies and procedures will be explained in detail. Many of the rules and regulations are imposed by the state licensing agencies and are based on their findings of what best maintains the safety and health of children in group-care settings. PLEASE KEEP THIS HANDBOOK IN AN EASILY ACCESSIBLE PLACE TO USE AS A HANDY REFERENCE GUIDE that will help you know what is expected and needed. Please feel free to also ask questions at any time of the director and lead-teacher if something is unclear. We care very much about your feedback and concerns, and we welcome your participation and involvement




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Excerpted from the preschool's website

"DAILY ACTIVITIES:

Planning: We come together in our circle area with a time of sharing, calendar, counting, Bible time, prayer and an introduction to the theme and special opportunities of the day. Here the children begin their day by planning what they will do in their work time.

Work Time: The children work in the various learning centers prepared for them. This is when Key Experiences take place in the developmental areas (social relations, creative representation, music and movement, language and literacy, classification, number, space and time).

Snack Time: The children gather at the snack table to nourish their bodies, socialize, and practice simple table etiquette.

Recall Time: At the close of the day children share with each other what they learned and accomplished during their work time.

Daily activities include free-choice time (most of the day the children choose to explore all of the learning centers set up - science & art, dramatic play, music center, discovery table, manipulatives, etc - all are set up according to the learning theme for the week), small group discussion time, mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks (provided by the center), lunch (prepared by Buchanan Community Schools for Buchanan and the Hob Nob Bistro for Niles), nap-time (pre-school age only), and outdoor play.
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Excerpted from the preschool's website