Programs

Our Programs

Play-based Philosophy

Ours is a play-based program, built around the belief that children learn naturally through their play. We offer a diverse and exciting curriculum with many stimulating activities in an environment that has a variety of learning centres and opportunities for free play. These include:

housekeeping area/doll corner
block corner
book corner
art area
music materials
table toys (puzzles, peg boards, beads, etc.)
science centre
sand and water play
small and large climbing apparatus

These centres and activities provide unlimited creative opportunities for discovery, challenge and exploration as well as a safe environment for building self-confidence, self-awareness and supportive relationships with peers.

* As our program involves play in sand, clay, paint, water and other messy activities, families are asked to send their children in play clothes which can get dirty as well as providing three spare changes of clothes to be kept in the cubby. A large part of our day includes outdoor play in all weather, rain or shine, so we ask families to make sure that children have appropriate outdoor wear for the weather.

Structured Learning Times

As well as free play opportunities, we offer daily structured learning activities for larger groups, such as circle time and story time in which we explore music, drama, movement, language and literature.

One to One and Small Group Work

We also work individually and in small groups with children to help them attain skills and achieve specific learning goals identified by families, day care staff, and therapists.

Resource Room

We have a resource room, away from the distractions of the classroom, in which we can work with individual children and small groups. This also gives therapists and other professionals a quiet place to meet with children, families and staff.

Family Learning Opportunities

We also provide educational support to families through a variety of learning opportunities. Information of interest to families may be posted on the bulletin board, included in family notices or made available in the family library. We can access literature, videos and speakers through the college and community.

Outdoor Program - The Playgrounds and College Environment

We have two well-equipped outdoor playgrounds, one for our toddlers and one for our pre-schoolers. We also use the rest of the college for walks and nature trips. We go on field trips away from the college occasionally. We sometimes use the college gymnasium, library and audio-visual services to extend our program.

Active Play Policy

As part of a holistic and play-based approach in which all areas of their development are supported and nurtured, we believe that children require good amounts of active play during the day. Active play promotes children’s healthy physical development as well as contributing to all other areas of their development including social, emotional and cognitive. The children spend well over two hours per day engaged in various types of active play.The following activities are examples of our active play programming.

Music and Movement, adult guided dance and movement activities and free open dance and self-expression, both indoors and in the playground, occurs daily during free play and as a component of circle time
Gym time once a week using the college gym and a variety of gym equipment, eg balls, hoops, ropes, bowling equipment, bean bags, parachute, balance beams obstacle courses
Playground time each morning and afternoon, active and physical play, eg climbing, biking, balancing, swinging from monkey bars
Nature walks in small groups each morning and afternoon
Walks in the college and neighborhood for small groups
Bicycle walks for small groups
Sports experiences such as soccer, hockey, basketball, T-Ball, running, jumping, skipping, skipping rope, ball play, for small groups during outdoor time
Sports day, annual morning event held every spring

Screen Use Policy

In their early years, children are fully and actively engaged in the world and the relationships around them. Whether through active or reflective play, through social interactions or when playing on their own, children are busy with their work of exploring, discovering, learning, and being challenged. In our centre we believe that screen time can interfere with this natural process of growth. Being in front of a screen, whether IPad, TV, computer or other electronic device, is usually a passive experience that we believe should be limited. For this reason, we do not include regular screen time in our programming. The American Pediatric Society recommends no screen time before the age of 2 years and limited time thereafter.

Exceptions to this rule are:

when a child with extra support needs uses a device as a communicative aid
when a teacher uses the computer as a supplemental tool to teach children about special events or to complement the children’s learning of a specific topic