|
|
Our Program Statement
St. George Co-op Preschool is a part-time
preschool situated in a beautiful church at
the Eastern end of the idyllic town of St.
George. The preschool began as a
co-operative to provide families with an
unmatched opportunity to participate
and engage in this next chapter of their
children’s lives and education. For many of
our children this will be their first
experience being cared for and educated
outside of the family unit. The co-operative
is committed to creating a close
community and an educational environment
that embodies the core values and traditions
of each co-op family. Our
philosophy is to encourage our children's
social, emotional, and intellectual growth
in a safe, secure learning
environment. St. George Co-op Preschool is
also committed to implementing current
educational best practices and
following all legislation that pertains to
the educational guidelines. We believe that
children are competent, capable,
curious, and rich in potential. This program
statement will outline the goals and
framework of our program, outline roles
and responsibilities of students, parents,
and instructors, as well as highlight the
preschool's philosophy and policies.
St. George Co-op Preschool is uniquely able
to optimize the four foundational conditions
that support learning and
referenced in “How does Learning Happen
(HDLH)”; belonging, well-being, engagement,
and expression. Having two
Registered Early Childhood Educators in the
classroom with staff support and occasional
volunteers allows more adults
to be actively engaged with different groups
of students throughout the classroom
simultaneously. With this greater
level of engagement students are provided
many opportunities for self-expression
verbally, developing their complex
communication skills as well as providing a
multitude of opportunities for expression
through creativity, problem solving
and mathematical behaviours.
From their first day in class, students will
be treated as curious, capable individuals
with an unlimited potential for
learning and developing. Each student’s
strengths, abilities and interests will be
considered to create the most beneficial
programming possible. We know that young
children learn through play and inquiry. Our
day is outlined with a lot of
free time play, where the children can be
learners in the environment, following what
interests them.
Our instructors are highly skilled
educators, specializing in preschool aged
children and committed to the co-operative
values of the preschool. They are interested
in participating as a co-learner with the
children and families and to support
children's learning, development, health,
and well-being. They outline the programming
through their experience,
knowledge of curriculum and specifically
linking to the goals of the co-op families
for their children, including children
with individualized plans. They can tailor
the programming based on the skills and
interests of the children. We
recognize that all students come with
different interests and different learning
strategies. We help to create a positive
learning space where all our students’
learning and development will be supported.
Our co-op preschool community is
specifically interested in school readiness,
so our educators use opportunities for
focused lessons on these skills such as
self-dressing, recognizing a child’s own
name, as well as early literacy and numeracy
skills. It has been their experience
that the play-based approach to early
learning provides many opportunities for
development of these skills in an organic
way, through engaged activities such as
dress-up, colouring, crafts, and story time.
We incorporate all faucets of
development to help in the growth of
children each day. We use indoor gross motor
play in the gym, active play,
sensory exploration, fine motor activities
and rest and quiet time and consider all the
individual needs of the children
receiving our care.
During classroom time, staff and volunteers
are encouraged to get down with the children
and engage on their level and
build relationships. The teachers encourage
positive interactions between the children
and in the classroom.
Approaching our students as capable, complex
thinkers, we are able to support the
children, as necessary, through
coaching, modeling positive behaviours and
providing language to resolve conflict. We
discuss the children’s feelings,
and the children brainstorm with the
teachers what a more positive interaction
would look like. Adults in our program
provide space and opportunity for our
students to resolve conflict and challenging
situations and behaviours
independently, with the knowledge that
support is close-by. Parents will maintain
open communication with the
instructor, checking the parent information
board, Facebook Page and communication App
regularly for updates and
important information.
Our goal at St. George Co-op Preschool is
for all students to feel safe and secure in
our preschool environment. To
ensure this, we set limits, for the safety
of the children, so that a child may not
harm oneself or be allowed to harm
another person, or their property. As our
school is able to excel in providing the
four foundations for learning we have
found behaviours requiring regulation
intervention very rare. Our students are
generally happy and healthy, engaged
and able to express themselves effectively,
verbally or nonverbally. We always encourage
self -regulation in the
classroom. If at any time a child feels
overwhelmed or needs to be alone, a safe
quiet place inside the classroom will be
provided where they can be supervised safely
at a distance. No child will be forced to
participate in any activity that they
are not comfortable doing. We encourage the
children to be competent learners by
following their interests and
planning activities based on their likes.
St. George Co-op Preschool fundamentally
believes in the adage that it takes a
village to raise a child. Local community
partners are welcome to take an active role
in the school if the school and the partner
find there is a need for service.
We welcome all input into the program and we
open our doors to partners wishing to help
support our children, their
families and our staff. The teacher will set
up appointments with these partners to make
sure that times and dates work
well for all of those involved.
Upon joining the membership of the St.
George Co-op Preschool, and annually
thereafter, all staff and volunteers will
review the program statement and all school
policies prior to interacting with the
children and at any time when the
program statement or any policies are
modified. Monthly, during our meeting, we
will document and discuss any
changes that need to be made to the program
statement and or policies. Annually, all
staff and volunteers will be
evaluated by the supervisor to make sure
that these approaches to interacting with
children are being followed.
Our instructors are the leaders of the
classroom and maintain several key
responsibilities. They are primarily
responsible
for class regulation, implementing
curriculum, maintaining the health and
safety of children under their care. Support
staff and volunteers will support the
instructor and look to the instructor for
guidance. Our educators also work to
maintain an open line of communication with
every family through our parent information
board located in the cubby
room, email, the communication app, Facebook
and face-to-face interactions. The
curriculum and program are living
documents that changes each day as the
children explore their surroundings.
Children will be provided a healthy,
nutritious snack during the morning as well
as a balanced meal at lunch time. The
menu is posted monthly by the supervisor so
all members can see what their children are
eating each day.
Our Staff and educators are the pillars of
our co-op community and will be treated with
utmost respect. If you disagree
with an approach or technique being used by
the educator(s) or have concerns about the
integration or experience of
your child please arrange to speak to them
privately, outside of class time, as the
educators are fully engaged with the
children during class. Alternatively,
members of the co-op board, introduced at
the September parent meeting, may be
approached to help resolve any concern,
issue, or conflict. Miss Debb, our centre
supervisor can also be contacted.
Our educators are encouraged and supported
by our community to take part in continuous
professional learning.
Occasionally, professional development
happens during one of our school days.
Typically, our membership will decide to
take a field trip or make other arrangements
to cover the day. Our educators will come
back and share the knowledge
they acquired at the professional
development with the community of parents to
further their knowledge as well.
At the St. George Co-op Preschool, all
children are welcome to attend regardless of
ability, need, background, culture,
religion, gender, family composition or
economic circumstances. Through inclusive
practice, we aim to enhance the
physical, emotional, social and intellectual
needs of all children. We strive to make
strong partnerships with families
through open communication keeping the best
interest of the child as a top priority.
Our policy includes that:
- No family will be excluded from the
program, as long as we are able to meet
their needs.
- All children may attend our regular
days and hours of operation no matter
their needs.
- Financial assistance through City of
Brantford Child Care Services may be
offered to families in need.
If you have any questions or concerns about
your child, our curriculum or activities in
the school, please speak with our
teachers. Any ideas or concerns relating to
the administration or operation of the
school can be directed to the
appropriate member of the executive council,
or the supervisor. If you would like to
address the general membership,
please advise the president sufficiently
prior to a meeting.
The St. George Co-op Preschool is part of
the Canada Wide Early Learning and Childcare
system. Our fees are broken
into base and non-base fees. A Base Fee is
defined by the CCEYA - everything considered
to be mandatory charge to a
parent for providing child care, including
everything a licensee is required to provide
under the CCEYA. A non-Base Fee is
defined by the CCEYA - fees charged for
optional services - e.g. field trips,
transportation - or any fees where a parent
fails to meet agreement.
We hope that your time at the St. George
Co-op Preschool is a positive and fulfilling
experience and we are excited to
have you join our membership
|
|