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Our

Program Statement

At Calvary Daycare we view the child as the center of all we do.   As a Christian daycare we also believe that each child is a gift from God and should be treated with respect, love and compassion.   We believe that during the first years of a child’s life it is crucial to build and support a strong foundation that will help them develop the skills they need to be successful in life.  We believe that children are competent, capable, curious and rich in potential and this should be reflected daily in all our interactions, activities and decisions.

 

Calvary Daycare is a not for profit, fully licenced child care centre.  We are licenced through the Ministry of Education, Early Years Division to provide affordable, inclusive quality childcare.  We use the Ontario Ministry of Education recognized publications,  “How Does Learning Happen” and “The Early Learning for Every Child Today” to guide our practice.

Calvary Daycare Goals & Approaches 

A)  Goal - To promote the health, safety, nutrition and well-being of the children.

 

Approaches:

  • At Calvary Daycare we believe that we need to care for the whole child

  • In order for a child to be at their best they need good nutrition, exercise and rest

  • We promote healthy eating with home cooked, nutritious meals and snacks that follow the Canada Food Guide

  • A fresh fruit basket is available all day in each room to help meet the nutritional needs of each child

  • Throughout the day each child has an individual water bottle or cup available to them

  • Educators encourage regular hand washing (after bathroom, before meals and when necessary)

  • The children get time to rest during a quiet/nap time 

  • Each morning and afternoon the children spend time engaging in active physical play outside in our beautiful property

  • When the weather is not good the children have the use of the outdoor pavilion or the indoor gym to participate in active play

  • Our educators are trained to encourage safe play but to also allow the children to take measured risks in their play

  • Our educators respond to children’s emotional needs and keep open communication with parents

B)  Goal - To support positive and responsive interactions among the children, parents and staff.

 

Approaches:

  • We respect the uniqueness and importance of each family that is part of our Calvary family

  • It is our responsibility through daily interactions to get to know, understand and support each family and their goals for their children

  • We will create a warm and welcoming environment where each person will be greeted

  • Our educators fill in a daily report to be given to families at the end of the day

  • Staff and children will participate in lots of rich interactions through daily tasks, interactive play and circle time

C)  Goal - To encourage the children to interact and communicate in a positive way and support their ability to self-regulate.

 

Approaches:

  • Educators will model positive communication skills through their daily interactions with the children, parents and staff

  • Educators will provide activities such as Show and Share that encourage the children to interact and build communication skills

  • Educators will be calm and patient with the children as they help them develop self regulation skills

  • Educators will monitor children’s speech development by using the H/N Preschool Speech and Language Communication Checklist

D)  Goal - To foster the children’s exploration, play and inquiry.

 

Approaches:

  • Children will be given lots of opportunities to explore their world through many different ways

  • There will be opportunities to paint, cut, glue and explore through creative and sensory experiences    

  • Outdoor items found during walks/adventures are often brought into the classroom and incorporated into our learning  (sensory bins, art activities)

  • Real life materials will be provided to give children opportunity to play and formulate questions and answers about the world 

  • Learning centres and opportunities will be varied and designed to allow all children the opportunity to learn

E)  Goal - To provide child-initiated and adult-supported experiences.

 

Approaches:

  • Each class will have several learning centres open for the majority of the day to give children the choice of what they will do

  • Educators will respond and support the children’s learning through listening, posing questions, providing additional materials and information

  • Educators will place items of interest in the environment that may provoke learning

F)  Goal - To plan for and create positive learning environments and experiences in which each child’s learning and development will be supported.

 

Approaches:

  • Each child is an individual and will develop skills at different times.  It is important that our ECEs understand child development to fully support this process and to have appropriate expectations. 

  • Our educators will use developmental screens to better assess each child’s development and needs.

  • Educators will observe and document children’s interests and questions.  This information will be used for reflection when planning learning experiences and changing the environment to create engaging and positive learning opportunities. 

  • Educators will provide open-ended activities with multi use tools and equipment. 

  • Educators will engage children in sensory play on a daily basis.

  • Educators are given time each week to reflect, document and plan for their classroom

G)  Goal - To incorporate indoor and outdoor play, as well as active play, rest and quiet time, into the day, and give consideration to the individual needs of the children receiving child care. 

 

Approaches:

  • Calvary Daycare is blessed with several acres of beautiful nature and some wonderful playgrounds 

  • We value the importance of outdoor play and exploration and children taking measured risks.  Weather permitting our staff and children spend several hours a day outdoors

  • If unable to be outside we have the blessing of a gym, which allows the children to engage in indoor active play

  • Children are also supported in their need for quiet time through the sharing of stories, puzzles, books and quiet activities indoors and outdoors

  • Children are given an opportunity for a sleep or quiet time following lunch.  During quiet time all children are encouraged to rest on their cots for an hour.  After one hour, children not sleeping are engaged in quiet activities for another hour at which time all children resume regular activities.  

H)  Goal - To foster the engagement of ongoing communication with parents about the program and their children.

 

Approaches:

  • Parent communication is a daily expectation between our educators and parents 

  • The sharing of information, verbally and written, between home and childcare is necessary to ensure quality care and an understanding and trusting environment for each child

  • Each child has a portfolio which contains documentation to show their growth and learning

  • Our communication boards offer daily information to parents

  • Each family will receive a monthly newsletter from the Director to inform them of important information and dates to mark on their calendar 

  • A monthly calendar outlining special days and events is provided to all families

  • We welcome all communication from families through phone calls, emails and in person

I)  Goal - To involve local community partners and allow those partners to support the children, their families and staff. 

 

Approaches:

  • To support growth and development of the children that are part of our Calvary family we have relationships with various community members and agencies 

  • We have an ongoing partnership with REACH who provides specialized supports and services to some of the children in our care.  These professionals may visit Calvary to work with our children

  • We may make referrals to outside agencies such as Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit Preschool Speech and Language for children who may need additional developmental support

  • With parental permission some classes may take a trip to a local Senior Center to visit and build relationships with other members of our community

  • We may invite community partners such as the Fire Department or the OPP to visit the children at the center

J)  Goal - To support staff in relation to continuous professional learning.

 

Approaches:

  • We are blessed with an amazing staff here at Calvary Daycare.  The quality of our program is dependent on the abilities, well-being and competence of each staff 

  • We value the principle of life long learning and therefore expect and support all staff to participate in professional learning opportunities individually and together

  • As a center, all of our educators participate in the HN Quality Initiative, which encourages on-going learning, reflection and documentation to support professional growth

  • We provide opportunities in-house to learn together

K)  Goal - To document and review the impact of the strategies outlined in our goals a-j on the children and their families. 

 

Approaches:

  • Staff will reflect on their performance in meeting the goals outlined in the Program Statement 

  • Educators will receive feedback and support from the Program Director and Pastoral Daycare Director through on-going mentoring

  • All staff will have an annual meeting with the Pastoral Daycare Director where their achievement of outlined goals will be evaluated and discussed.  The setting of new professional goals for the coming year and the plans to attain them will also be discussed 

  • Families will have opportunity to give feed back through an annual survey 

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