Academic
Excellence for all ages
Practicum for graduate and undergraduate
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Parents are the most important people in their child's world; they are also their child's first and primary teachers. Research confirms that the most effective early childhood programs are those which involve parents in meaningful ways. We try to communicate with parents in a wide variety of ways in the hopes that as many attempts reach as many parents as possible.
Home Visits are offered each year in August before the school year starts. The head teacher and (if possible) a college student visit the home with an activity for the child and an opportunity for the parent(s) to ask questions and talk informally about the school and the program. A school visit can also be arranged for such purposes.
A newsletter is sent home at the beginning of each week (Mon.) with the special activities listed for each day including book and songs for circletime and daily snack items. The other side of the newsletter offers educational material for parents on the weekly theme and curriculum goals targeted i.e. literacy, sequencing; words to new songs and fingerplays; and necessary information such as parking stickers, book orders or open house reminders.
Parent/Teacher Conferences are routinely held at the end of each semester. During this session we provide parents with a Developmental Summary for their child as well as a Portfolio of work and photos and a video tape to better illustrate the child's interests and growth at school. Additional conferences can be held anytime during the semester if the teacher or parent feels it is needed.
Each year a Parent Advisory Board is made up of volunteers who provide feedback and help make decisions about the program. We try to include parents reflecting the range of students; returning/new families, morning/afternoon sessions, families of special needs/typically developing children, university affiliated/community families. We meet once a month in the center (children and sibs are welcome); a lunch meeting has usually been preferred by parents. Minutes are duplicated and sent home to all parents.
Each year 20-30 Activity Backpacks are available to be checked out overnight. Each contains 3-4 activities on a theme as well as 3-4 books on that topic. They are intended as parent/child interaction activities and include themes such as Dinosaurs, Night, Water, Baking or popular authors or book characters. The favorites are repeated from year to year and other topics are rotated.
At least one Open House is held each semester for families and friends. The Spring Open House includes an art show of the children's work, fall and summer have varying themes. Other open houses are held according to parent interest and time.
This Web Site is our newest attempt to let parents and others learn more about the Center.