Full-day, child-centered development.
Each weekday, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., we serve 53 children ages 1-5 years old at First English Lutheran Child Development Center.
We believe in child-centered development in a loving, stimulating and safe environment. For each child, we want to nurture their physical, emotional, social and intellectual growth. We know that these areas of growth are interconnected and together encourage the healthy development of a child.
Our curriculum responds to children’s desires to explore their environments and expand their understanding. We see each child as a competent learner, able to contribute positively to the center activities. Intellectual development occurs within a child-directed, play-based curriculum. We regularly share the activities and developmental growth of a child with their families to promote a warm atmosphere at school and at home.
Our philosophy.
We are a nurturing, child-centered school that will care for your child, ensure their happiness, and teach them to interact with others socially. We strive to:
Cultivate each child’s individual traits, curiosities and development.
Nurture each child’s physical, emotional and intellectual growth.
Provide a secure environment based on trust and care to facilitate each child’s emotional development.
Promote social development by creating a safe place for each child to communicate and listen to the needs of others.
Support physical and intellectual growth by providing nutritious meals, a safe and engaging playground, and a curriculum that teaches children respect for their bodies and the bodies of others.
Retain skilled and caring staff by providing them adequate compensation, continuing education, opportunities for professional growth and a respectful workplace.
Read more below about our classrooms, as well as the outdoor learning and nutrition elements of our program.
Age 1
Enter our youngest toddler classroom and you will notice a calm but busy atmosphere.
The curriculum for toddlers focuses on helping a child develop healthy and stable relationships between the teachers, families and other friends in the classroom. Our teachers are skilled in supporting a child as they begin to notice those around them and how they interact in their life.
Our Toddler classroom provides children with a safe and nurturing environment in which to explore their newly developing skills and abilities. Ongoing, flexible goals are set for each child in the areas of health, safety, emotional well-being, self-esteem and other developmental needs. We support children as they develop their large and small muscles, language, thinking skills, problem solving abilities, memory, social abilities, emotions and growing sense of self.
The Toddler classroom includes a large motor area for running, climbing, dancing and riding toys, as well as areas for manipulatives, books, dramatic play, creative art materials and sensory materials, all of which are available for children to choose throughout the day. Outside time is built in formally throughout the day, but you just never know when the great outdoors will call you!
Our youngest toddler classroom has an age range of approximately 12 months (walking) to 24 months with a 2:8 teacher-to-child ratio.
Age 2
Our 2-year-old classroom is the older toddler classroom. For some children, it is their first group experience in a setting away from home. In our classroom, a great portion of our day centers around creating a classroom environment in which the children feel secure and connected in a loving place that is an extension of their homes. One of the most important ways in which we create this haven is through fostering a strong and constant home-school partnership.
Through every part of our day, we facilitate social interactions between children. In this important time for language development, teachers support youngsters as they learn to use language for a variety of reasons, including sharing ideas, listening to each other, and taking turns. Teachers model appropriate language such as, "Can I play?" or "Do you want to play a game with me?"
When conflicts do arise, and they inevitably do, teachers walk children through the steps of adult-assisted problem solving. Children learn to ask, for example, "Are you okay? What will make you feel better? It sounds like you are too sad to talk right now. We'll talk later." It is important to us that we validate children's feelings, whether they be positive or negative. Just as we celebrate and acknowledge feelings of joy and pride, we encourage children to bring feelings of anger and fear out in the open as well. In such an environment, they learn how to take care of one another and know that they in turn are going to receive care.
We support the individual child's experience and interests by providing ever-changing and evolving centers that revolve around sensory experiences, dramatic play, pre-math, art, small and gross motor skills and pre-language development. You will be hard pressed to find a time when there is not a teacher on the floor reading a book and surrounded by friends. By allowing children to easily rotate through to different areas of the room, we validate their choices and support their interests.
Twos are approximately 24-36 months. There is a 2:11 teacher-to-student ratio.
Age 3
Our 3-year-old classroom functions as a community of children, families and teachers. Teachers support learning through play. There is acknowledgment and appreciation that children progress in their learning through different paths and at different speeds. We aim to accommodate these unique learning styles by providing a classroom full of choices.
Our teachers value and support children's unique learning styles and strengths. There is structure to the day and planning for materials and activities that allows children choice while supporting age-appropriate learning goals. Our centers include art, sensory, building, dramatic play, pre-math and pre-language which allows for a child to choose centers in which they have an affinity and be exposed to centers in which they are in the process of learning.
Socially, our teachers continue to support the growing relationships that are being built among a child and their friends. We encourage cooperative play when appropriate and teacher conflict resolution as they happen in the moment.
The classroom consists of children approximately 36-48 months with a teacher-to-student ratio of 2:16.
Age 4
The 4-year-old classroom spans an exciting and important stage in children's development, one in which we see a tremendous amount of growth and change.
Our classroom is where we seek to build upon the relationships established in past classrooms. Our sense of community really becomes established at this stage as children and families have spent a year or two to grow together.
Through our integrated and emergent curriculum we help children work on age-appropriate and relevant goals in the areas of social, emotional, cognitive and physical development. Each part of our day is rich with hands-on opportunities to explore materials and make discoveries. Fours are encouraged to be creative, independent learners and have daily opportunities to choose activities according to their own varying interests.
There is an incredible sense of pride and accomplishment in the room as children master new tasks and learn new skills. Literacy is one of the many areas in which children this age are beginning to blossom, and you will see that our classroom is rich in child dictation. This allows their words to take life and reinforces the concept that words are an important and powerful means of communication.
The Fours consist of children approximately 48-60 months when they are ready to enter kindergarten. The teacher-to-student ratio is 2:18.
Outdoor Learning
At First English Lutheran Child Development Center, we know that spending time outside is important in the development of a healthy and happy child. It is here that children are inundated with nature, science, gross motor activity and simply breathing fresh air.
Our shaded playground is the perfect place to get out and run around. Although outside time is built formally into our schedule twice a day, you just never know when a group could go outside to search for leaves to use in an art area or to blow colored bubbles, and so much more!
Nutrition
Children grow fast at a young age, and we want to make sure that our children are reaching their physical potential. That’s why we serve a healthy breakfast, lunch and snack every day – all family-style – as a core part of our program.
For example, breakfast might include blueberry bread, honeydew melon and milk. At lunch, the children enjoy hummus, pita, cucumbers, bell pepper, oranges and milk. And in the afternoon, they refuel with cranberry scones and oranges.
Not only does this encourage optimal physical growth, but it helps our children be at their best during each and every day.