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The Administration and Staff of St. Mark’s Day Care Center believe that each child should be free to learn at his/her pace and to have the ability to function as an individual or as a member of a group. To meet our objectives, we have competent and caring staff. Classrooms are arranged in learning centers, including manipulatives, art, library, housekeeping, science, music, and fine (small) and gross (large) motor activities.
Learning centers have been set up with blocks, puzzles, dress-up clothes, crayons, paper and paint. Your child learns math and science, with hands-on problem solving activities, as well as socially appropriate group behavior. Children also learn how to get along with others by developing communication and creativity skills through literacy learning activities. Although the child may occasionally bring home drawings and other completed art, the focus is on the process (how the project is completed), not the product.
In the Infant and Toddler groups, we use the Ages and Stages Developmental Assessment questionnaire to chart the progress of our youngest participants. In the Intake process, an initial assessment is made by the parent. Continuing every 2 months until age three (3) this tool helps chart growth and learning. If concerns arise, we can make referrals to various resources for the parent and child.
Our curriculum is based upon the philosophy that children learn best by doing. Learning requires active thinking and experimenting. During the preschool years, play is one of the most fundamental activities of the developing child, providing the foundation for academic learning. Play is an important preparation for learning highly abstract symbols such as letters and numbers. One of the most important goals of our curriculum is to help children become enthusiastic learners. This means encouraging children to be active and creative explorers who are not afraid to try out their ideas and to think their own thoughts, helping children to become independent, self-confident, inquisitive learners. We teach them how to learn, not just in pre-school, but throughout their lives. We model good habits and attitudes, and encourage a positive sense of self, using both the Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum Assessment System and the Connecticut Framework: Preschool Curricular Goals and Benchmarks. These are age appropriate curricula designed to meet the developmental needs of each child. The following are our goals for the child’s growth:
Social: to help children feel comfortable in school, trust their new environment, make friends and feel they are part of the group.
Emotional: to help children to experience pride and self confidence, develop independence and self- control, and have a positive attitude toward life.
Cognitive: to help children become confident learners by letting them try out their own ideas and experience success, and by helping them acquire learning skills such as the ability to solve problems, ask questions, and use words to describe their ideas, observations, and feelings.
Physical: to help children increase their large and small muscle skills and feel confident about what their bodies can do. The activities we plan for children, the way we organize the environment, select toys and materials, plan the daily schedule, and talk with children, are all designed to accomplish the goals of our curriculum and give each child a successful start in school. Our Center is designed to meet the standards of Developmentally Appropriate Practice In Early Childhood Program, as established by the National Association for Education of Young Children.
Nutritional: In addition to providing food approved by the CACFP Child Nutrition Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we are required to provide nutrition, health, and food safety education activities in The Center.
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ST. MARK'S DAY CARE CENTER INC.
368/70 Newfield Ave, Bridgeport, Ct 06607
Phone: 203.335.3828 Fax: 203.335.4344
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