Classes
A curriculum as individual as each child in our care
The classes at the Child Development Center are geared to ensuring each child’s needs are met on an individual level. Different centers are located in each classrooms to promote an enthusiasm for critical thinking and problem solving, from a dramatic play center to puzzles and a literary center, each one encourages the children to think constructively.
Our commitment to support and educate children of all abilities makes the Child Development Center a guiding force for excellence in the care and education of all children. We provide a high-quality learning environment, which incorporates effective practices and facilitates successful family partnerships. Our goal is to create a secure and loving environment that meets each child’s developmental needs, thereby allowing them to become successful at learning.
In addition to regular parent conferences and a daily teacher report, we use the Tadpoles program to share information with families about their child. Each day you will receive information from your child’s teachers about classroom learning activities, reminders and announcements, notes on your individual child’s day (including meals, naps, bathroom, etc.), and photos of the fun and learning taking place!
We have several residents who volunteer in the classrooms, rocking babies, reading stories to our preschoolers and helping our school agers with homework. We also take the children into the different areas of living for fun, intergenerational activities every week:
Classrooms are divided into several different centers to promote a variety of learning experiences:
- The Construction Center may contain blocks, cars, trucks, animals, and various other materials that build fine and gross motor skill development.
- The Dramatic Play Center may have dress-up clothes, a kitchen set, and play food to encourage the use of verbal skills, pretend play and social cooperation.
- The Literacy Center promotes a beginning interest in reading and writing, through the use of books, writing materials, and letters/words of the week.
- Puzzles, games, and toys that improve dexterity are made available in the Table-Top Center to encourage problem solving skills and hand-eye coordination. Music, movement, and outside play are used to assist physical development and coordination.
- Art activities using a variety of different materials are offered on an ongoing basis to encourage creative expression. Children are given daily opportunities to explore in each of the above Centers to encourage early school readiness skills and overall development.
We emphasize the development of warm, positive relationships and strong bonds between children and their caregivers. We strongly encourage one-on-one interaction and the treatment of each child as an individual. Many opportunities are provided for sensory experiences, through observation and exploration, to enhance all areas of development.
In Preschool, children have the opportunity to participate in school readiness enhancement skills through a variety of learning experiences and activities centers such as: construction, art, literacy, discovery, and other hands-on tools. Additional activities include music, multicultural events, outside play, games, cooking projects, intergenerational activities and much more.
Our Preschool Classrooms provide a wide range of experiences that are considered age and developmentally appropriate as defined by the Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning.
For more information, visit (link) intergenerational activities and more.
The Creative Curriculum for Preschool
The Creative Curriculum for Preschool is an award-winning curriculum for preschool success. Comprising of The Foundation – five research-based volumes that provide the knowledge base of the curriculum – and the Daily Resources – which offer step-by-step guidance in the form of Teaching Guides and additional daily teaching tools – The Creative Curriculum for Preschool is fully aligned with the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework and state early learning standards. Using exploration and discovery as a way of learning, The Creative Curriculum for Preschool enables children to develop confidence, creativity, and lifelong critical thinking skills. Please visit the Teaching Strategies website to learn more.
Parent/teacher conferences are held in January and May as a way to provide feedback to the parents. Throughout the year, parents can access the family site, which allows you to:
- Use our messaging system and event calendar to keep in touch with us and to stay up-to-date about what your child is doing at school.
- View the documentation we share with you about your child. This includes photos, scanned artwork, and other samples of his or her work and play at school.
- You can also share your observations from home with us by entering them into the system!
Our center provides before and after school care to several schools in the community within a four mile radius. Our program provides a safe place for children to learn and to have fun. Our staff assists children with homework and provides many opportunities that reinforce the skills they are learning in school. In addition to homework time, children are given the opportunity for outdoor play and center time.
The Summer Camp program operates full days from mid-June through the third week of August. We offer the children unique and interesting programs designed around their interests and developmental needs. Opportunities are provided for swimming, art, cooking projects, field trips, hands-on experiences and much more. The school age children are encouraged to assist with planning their daily curriculum and establishing the rules and expectations of their class.
The characteristics of HEROES that are reinforced all summer long are:
HONESTY
ENERGY
RESPONSIBILITY
OPTIMISM
ENDURANCE
SUCCESS
