"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. But, the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."
 - Author Unknown

Thank you for giving us an opportunity to provide you with information regarding our program.

Our center was designed with your child in mind. Each classroom and all public areas were designed to be child friendly with a warm and nurturing atmosphere. We understand that we just don't play a roll in educating children but making sure all our children have a happy and secure childhood experience.

Our philosophy here at Creative Years Child Development & Learning Center is one of genuine caring. Fostering a structured atmosphere of love and understanding is our major emphasis. Our purpose is to provide quality childcare and a feeling of security for all our children. Promoting a sense of open communication between staff, parent and child is the goal we strive to maintain.

We believe that early childhood should be a time for making meaningful connections, exciting explorations and discoveries and developing a sense of self.  Our staff strives to nurture and encourage such positive experiences for all our children.  We recognize that it is our responsibility to provide an atmosphere that encourages social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth and development of the whole child.

Parents - Stay involved

As educators we know that parents play the most important role in the development and education of their child. We encourage and welcome, whenever possible, the involvement of parents in our center.   We place great importance on daily and consistent levels of communication between our staff and families ensuring that each child’s needs are being met.  We realize and understand that each family’s needs and wants are different and our staff is dedicated to attending to the uniqueness of each individual family.

Make drop off and pick up a special time for you and your child.

Curriculum Statement

Our developmentally appropriate curriculum teaches to the individual child.  We realize that all children are unique and learn through their own different learning styles.  Our staff carefully plans and revises curriculum based on the children under their care.   Committed to educating the whole child our curriculum focuses on the social, emotional, physical and intellectual development of each child.  Undertaking this commitment requires that we offer a variety of educational experiences to enhance and foster such development.  Through an array of multi-sensory and interdisciplinary activities we strive to encourage lifelong learners who are capable of engaging in independent learning explorations. 

Each class uses a variety of teaching styles such as one-on-one teacher/child interaction, small group activities as well as whole group learning experiences.  Our day is facilitated through a consistent daily schedule that allows each child to development a sense of security through routine. 

Observations and assessments are a regular part of the educational process in order to keep curriculum relevant to each child’s developmental needs.  Assessment is most often conducted through child portfolios and daily observations. 

How children learn from activities

Each classroom is committed to creating an environment that promotes the growth and development of each individual child.  Children are encouraged to use and explore a variety of hands-on materials and activities throughout their day.

Classrooms are organized by learning centers that allow for independent exploration of multiple curriculum content areas including math, language arts, science and art.  Below you will find a list of content areas that play a regular part in our classrooms. 

Math
In helping children to understand numbers and number relationships we first begin by providing manipulatives for children to explore and count.  In keeping with a developmentally appropriate curriculum we understand that each child learns at his/her own pace.  For this reason materials are regularly changed and/or modified to keep children interested and challenged.  In the beginning stages of mathematical development the curriculum focuses on sorting, patterning, number recognition and classifying.

Language Arts
Encouraging the development of strong readers and writers requires an environment rich in print and meaningful conversations.  When we provide children with an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations we are affording them the beginning stages of strong language development skills.  Aside from children’s everyday interactions amongst themselves and adults we can encourage such language development through the use of puppets, imaginative play (i.e. dramatic play center) and story time.  These activities eventually lead into reading and writing activities.

Science
The curriculum encourages the development of inquisitive learners.  Providing opportunities for children to explore, observe, discover, problem solve and make connections instills important skills needed for future scientific endeavors.  Science learning centers may include fossil study (digging for bones), magnets, leaf and/or flower comparing and butterfly exploration.  Whole group activities, including science experiments are just some of the ways that science is integrated into the curriculum.

Block Center
Blocks are important materials in the classroom.  They encourage imaginative play and serve as excellent math manipulatives as well.  Many classrooms often have block displays that remain standing for a few days due to the children’s request that their structure be preserved.  To validate each child’s hard work and creativity such requests are always honored.  The block center serves as an excellent observation vantage point as children are often engaged in conversation during their creative play, which can lead to important insights into that child’s world.

Art
Paint, glue, paper, beads, sequins, glitter, yarn, pipe cleaner and many other materials encourage the creation of creative works of art.  Children are naturally imaginative and creative beings.  Art allows each child to develop and enhance such skills.

Music and Movement
Promoting the development of gross motor skills is encouraged through music and movement.  Children can explore various forms of dance movement allowing them to practice and improve rhythmic movement and coordination.  Music is often used to begin and end our day as well as during transitional periods such as cleaning up or preparing for lunch.  Additionally, music and musical instruments is a way for children to naturally learn about other cultures as they explore different sounds and rhythms. 

Dramatic Play
Creative representations of real-life, every day roles are expressed during dramatic play.  Children pretend to be firemen, teachers, parents, doctors and a variety of other figures in the community.  The dramatic play center may be organized by theme such as a restaurant, bakery, doctor’s office or a campsite.  Children practice conversational skills, cooperation and math and writing enhancement.

Reading Corner
This is an area where children are afforded time to quietly look at and read books.  A variety of books in content and structure are contained within the reading center that is intended to help children develop their reading skills.

Sensory Table
The sensory table is known to include sand, water, magnets, environmental items (i.e. leaves, acorns) and other materials that invite children to handle and explore.  Typically the tables contain measuring cups, spoons and other items that the children can use to dig, pour and scoop.  They make discoveries and observe what happens when, for example, water and sand are mixed together.

Outdoor Play
A vital and regular part of the curriculum is outdoor play.  Not only do children need fresh air, but they also need the opportunity to move in larger areas outside of the classroom.  Outdoor play is another activity that helps to develop gross motor skills as children climb the climbing structure, jump rope with friends and run during a game of tag.  Outdoor time also serves as an important component of the science curriculum as we make discoveries about our natural environment. 

Multiculturalism
It is important that our children develop a sense of the world around them.  The classroom curriculum promotes multicultural experiences by introducing cultural celebrations and festivals, listening to music, preparing and tasting food from other countries and reading multicultural literature.

What children learn from the environment and the daily schedule

Each classroom is structured through the use of a daily schedule.  Depending on the age of the children in the class decides the flow of the daily schedule.  Such a schedule allows children to feel they have some control over their day, as they know what activities follow each other.  This “knowing” provides an important sense of security for children.  However, schedules should never be viewed as rigid or unchangeable itineraries.  Like adults, children have agendas of their own.  There are days when the schedule will need to be adjusted to suit the needs and interests of the children.

Within the classroom there are multitudes of learning centers that are arranged and labeled around the room.  These centers allow each child the opportunity to choose an area of interest and explore the contents contained within.  Typical learning centers include math, science, reading corner, blocks, dramatic play, sensory table, art and a listening center (music/books on tape).  Each center has a variety of materials that are regularly changed in order to allow children to continually make new discoveries and progress to higher levels of cognitive development.  Before a transition period is about to take place teachers provide a gentle reminder that a few minutes remain before it is time to clean up.  Every child will then return their materials back to their appropriate place in the classroom.

Outdoor time allows for free exploration of the natural environment.  Children have grassy areas they can use for running, resting and having picnic lunches.  Our playground surface is covered with “children’s carpet,” a bark-mulch like material that provides for a safe covering around all climbing structures.  The paved surface can be used for a game of basketball or to ride bikes or other wheeled toys.  All playgrounds are fenced in with the older and younger children each having different playgrounds to use.

What children learn from our conversations with them

When we speak to children we are not only helping to develop language acquisition and conversational skills, but we are letting our children know that what they are saying is important.  We can learn a lot from our conversations with children and in doing so we must carefully phrase our statements and questions.  Here are some examples of what you might here in the classroom:

We encourage children to use their words to describe a drawing they are completing such as, “Tell me about this house in your picture?”

At dramatic play or in other learning centers where children are actively engaged in imaginative play we use words to encourage them to make believe such as, “What are you cooking for breakfast?”

We use words to help children further develop their observational skills such as, “I like the house you have made.  Can you show me how you made it?”

We use words to help children be better problem solvers such as, “We know the toy cannot go on that shelf because it is full.  Where else might we find a spot to put this toy?”

Language heard in our classrooms often consists of carefully selected words that are intended to encourage children to solve their own problems, explain their work, discuss their feelings and share their ideas. 

Role of Staff

We believe that your child deserves the very best and this begins with the careful selection of our teaching staff.  Each classroom has a lead teacher and at least one assistant all of whom are upheld to strict professional conduct requirements.

Our staff is committed to educating your child through the use of developmentally appropriate practices.  Your child will be challenged through daily classroom activities both independently and within groups.  Teachers are well-trained to attend to the needs of every child under their care.

Our staff is always available to speak with parents about any comments, questions or concerns they might have.  We strongly encourage regular communication between teacher and parents.

Role of Parents

The involvement of parents is strongly recommended and encouraged in our center.  Our open door policy is meant for parents to interact in the classroom or to observe their child at play.  It also provides an opportunity for communicating with your child’s teacher.  Realizing the demands of working families we understand it is not always possible to spend large amounts of time in your child’s classroom during the day.  However, giving yourself a few extra moments in the morning or evening will provide you the opportunity to speak with your child’s teacher.  If this is not possible, you are always welcomed to phone your child’s teacher to see how your child is doing.

It is always exciting to hear how a child’s day went. Encourage your child to tell you about his/her day, special friends and special activities he/she participated in.  Make drop off and pick up a special time for you and your child.

We welcome the opportunity to set up conferences with our teachers and parents to discuss any issues that cannot be adequately discussed during drop off or pick up.  Not wanting to remove our teachers from their important job of educating your child we ask that conferences be scheduled for discussions that are of length.  Our teachers are always willing to meet with parents outside of the classroom.