About Us
The decision to send your child into child care can be a difficult one, and deciding where to enroll your child can be even more so. We want to make that decision a little easier. We are focused solely on providing the very best of care for your children, with the best curriculum, and dedicated and loving educators to partner with you in guiding your child through their first years of life. We are confident that one of our centres will be the right fit for your child as we reflect a positive, structured, safe, and happy environment
Our Mission
Our mission is to work together with parents in helping to prepare their child socially, mentally, morally, academically, and culturally for the present to best benefit their future.
Our Philosophy
Early childhood is a particularly significant period in human development. Independence, initiative, decision-making, creativity, the ability to learn, the ability to relate to others, and feelings of self-worth all have their beginnings in early childhood. Young children benefit from programs that help them explore the world around them and guide them through the transitions to a more formal learning environment (Early Childhood Services Policy – Alberta Learning)
A safe and nurturing environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of the child is the main philosophy of the National Association of Young Children. We believe that young children’s developmental needs are best addressed when there is an appropriate program in place. Young children have individual physical, emotional, social, and creative needs, we believe that our program will address all dimensions of the development of these needs.
We believe that all children should be cared for in an environment whee they are accepted and respected in order to develop a positive self-esteem. We believe our program proves that first-hand experiences utilizing a variety of materials, and loving and caring people prepare them for later abstract learning.
We believe that play encourages the development of young children. It is their way of coping with life as they view it. It is an important natural process of learning and provides endless opportunities for children to develop and learn new skills, and use and challenge their imagination, all in a risk-free environment.
Through positive guidance and play we will direct the children toward:
- Developing positive human relationships
- Love and respect for others
- Awareness of health and safety
- Positive self-esteem
Program Goals
To help children develop physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially in a safe, stimulating, and developmentally appropriate play environment with caring and educated childcare professionals who are supportive and respectful. The child’s self-esteem should always be a primary consideration in the childcare program. The child must always be treated with respect and affection to enhance his/her own self-image. Activities must be age appropriate in order to avoid frustration and boredom. A wide spectrum of experience is offered to the child through a large variety of toys and equipment; musical, literacy, dramatic, art, scientific activities, and frequent outings within the neighbourhood. Caregivers interact with the children using various centers to promote language development, creative thinking, gain observation skills, and improve problem solving skills. Caregivers also encourage sharing, cooperation, independence, and taking responsibility. Through their interactions, conversations, and comments, Caregivers should always consider the child’s self-esteem.
The program includes:
Play Centers
- Sand and water play
- Library and quiet area
- Creative and open-ended art
- Blocks and floor play
- Dramatic play and music
- Science center (for older children)
- Housekeeping
- Puzzles and games
Activities
- Study periods (emergent curriculum)
- Free play
- Manipulative and cognitive play
- Outside play
- Meal times
Special Activities
- Fridays we have ‘show and tell’ where children can bring in their favorite toy or item of interest
- Holiday parties (Valentine’s Day, Easter, Diversity Day, Halloween, Christmas ect)
- Stampede Breakfast (parents invited)
- Diversity Day (parents invited)
- Field Trips
Emergent Curriculum
As of Apr 1, 2014, we have implemented an Emergent Curriculum into our program. Emergent Curriculum is an exciting and different way of learning, thinking, and teaching for the children and for the Caregivers. It is a way of planning a curriculum based on the child’s interests and passions. The Caregivers will spend some time observing, documenting, and creatively brainstorming in order to plan their curriculum accordingly. Instead of the Caregiver thinking of program activities on their own in hopes that they peak the children’s curiosity, they will instead create program activities based on the children’s interests.
For example: If a Caregiver overhears their children discussing insects, she will begin brainstorming activities and crafts involving insects. She may plan a field trip to visit an ant farm; she can take the children outside to dig up insects in the ground; she can read a book to them about bugs; she can give them art and craft supplies so they can create their own open-ended craft on the topic of insects; she can have them make costumes of their favorite insect, etc.
If a child is told to draw a rainbow like so, and we all know the classic rainbow starts with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. When all the children’s pictures are up on the wall for viewing, how is a child able to pick out their drawing if all the pictures look the same? Therefore, with open ended art and emergent curriculum we are able to enhance a child’s creativity and uniqueness by building confidence and a hunger to learn!