Our Core Beliefs
Play Is Children’s Work
Children experience the world around them through play, imitation and practice. Active play allows them to test how their bodies move and hones motor skills. Stacking, building and tumbling blocks; sorting, matching and lacing dabbles in mathematical thinking, spacial relationships and developing fine motor skills. Pushing and pulling explores physics. Dramatic play practices abstract thinking and social behavior. Playing and interacting with their peers provides valuable lessons in negotiating social situations, self regulation, collaboration and effective communication.
Environment Inspires
Surroundings affect our mood and the way we negotiate our day. Thoughtful use of light, space and mindful placement of furnishings enables us to utilize our energy in a positive way. Our indoor rooms and outdoor garden classrooms are designed to invite curiosity, imagination. and creativity, Flexibility is abound with our movable play, creation, exploration and learning stations. We go where we feel inspired; ideas emerge and we follow.
Nature Enriches
In our safe, outdoor areas, children create their own play experiences by combining their imaginations with garden paths, walls and hidden garden spaces. They experience natural textures of leaves, dirt and rocks; observe the cycles of butterflies, ants, pill bugs, bees, snails, hummingbirds and birds and develop large motor skills as they dig, climb, run, jump and navigate stepping stones. Whether they play in our outdoor tent, gardens, or kitchen; or utilize art, music, sensory, water or sand stations; or curl up and read a book, they will experience nature, fresh air and natural light in tandem everyday.
Green Is good
Our program incorporates caring for our planet and being eco friendly and green. As we learn about the nature around us we will learn respect for it and techniques to protect it. We recycle and compost. We tend our compost tub and watch worms and bugs make dirt that we will use in our gardens. We grow some of our snack food and flowers in these gardens. We recycle objects whenever we can, using what we can in our creative projects. We will learn to take and consume only what we need. We will learn to take proper care of our things, so we can get longer life out of them and avoid consuming unnecessarily. We will learn to conserve water.
Reading Is "Fundamental"
Children possess an innate love of books. We harness this and nurture their interest by reading to them in an animated way with varied voices, puppets or costumes. The reading experience helps foster little imaginations, their ability to bond and to be empathetic. Reading lays foundations for word, pattern, symbol and rhythm recognition and critical thinking processes. Your child becomes empowered to fact find, to be free, imaginative and independent.
Children learn from one another
Collaborative learning comes naturally to children. Older children care for and teach younger ones. Young children look up to and imitate their elder peers. When faced with a conundrum, children will come up with ideas, test them together and try something different if the first idea fails. They learn from their mistakes and build upon them. Our program observes, guides and fosters this process.
