How Children Learn and How Can we Support YOU?

Here is some interesting information from page 5 of the Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines Birth through 3rd Grade 2012 

"Learning starts with families and communities.

Families are their child's first, most important and life-long teachers.  They are also responsible for their children 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no matter what, until the children grow up.  Parents and families care about their children and look for ways to support their healthy growth.   This can be hard work!  Parents embed their children in a web of relatives, friends and social networks. This community offers safety, opportunities, learning and support."

How could this blog be useful to you as a parent in finding ways to support your child's healthy growth?
- Links to articles and research, based on your questions?
- What questions do you have?
- More information about policies and procedures here at Children's Village?
- Are you curious about the media and it's impact on your child's development?

If you have any ideas for how this blog can better support your family, please let me know in the comments below or e-mail me directly.

Thanks,
Royale
 

Following through on a wonderful project that Janine started, Children's Village is participating in Early Achievers, Washington’s quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) administered by the Department of Early Learning. As an Early Achievers participant, we are demonstrating our commitment to offering high- quality child care and promoting school readiness.

You might be wondering – what is a QRIS? A QRIS is a process for supporting and rewarding child care providers for providing high-quality care. More than 25 states have a statewide QRIS and Washington began implementing our system in July 2012. Similar to a hotel rating, participating child care facilities are assigned a rating based on observed quality. The Early Achievers quality standards look at what we know is good for children and will help them get ready for school – things like our activities and curriculum, how we work with families, and how we interact with children. As a participant, we will get resources to help our program including coaching, training, and scholarships.

Family engagement is an important part of Early Achievers. You can help support our participation by asking questions, providing feedback and staying involved. We will share our rating once it has been assigned and provide more information as needed.

We are in the Level 2 stage, which means doing some ground work to apply for a review and rating.  We will be applying for our rating sometime this fall or early 2014. 

If you still have questions or want more information about Early Achievers, please visit the Department of Early Learning website at www.del.wa.gov/care/qris.

Thank you,


Royale

More Steps To Improve Parent Communication

March Newsletter

As your child spends a major portion of his/her day at Children's Village - we want to amke sure that parents are kept informed of all that is happening both in the classrooms and in the center.  Each family has a mail box in your child's classroom that will contain art projects and notices from your child's teacher.  And now... In the front each family has a mail box that will have center news.  Newsletters, statements, and other important information can be found in your family mail box.

The mail boxes in the front are alphabetized by child's last name.  One mail box per family.

You will also find blank forms that you may need from time to time, including:

*  Weekly Menu
*  Emergency Cards (blank in case you need to make a correction)
*  Medication Authorization Forms (Must be completed everytime we are asked to administer medication to your child)
*  Suggestion Box forms

Please contact me if you have any suggestions, questions, or concerns.  royalel@vision-house.org

Fabulous Fun February 2013

Working Together - Keeping Our Children and Ourselves Healthy

Children's Village is committed to strong Family-Teacher Partnership, we recognize that you are your child's first teacher, and are thankful for the opportunity to work alongside you in your child's healthy emotional, social, cognitive, physical, and spiritual development.

We work to keep you informed of your child's development and including you in decisions about your child.  Together we can provide a stronger program for your child.

Communication when your child is ill:
As a group care center it is important that we all work together to keep our children, teachers, and ourselves healthy.  A general "rule of thumb" is to consider - "Would you want your healthy child around another child with these symptoms?"  If the answer to that question is no - the best choice is to keep your child home.
*If you are keeping your child home due to illness or even just for fun, please give us a call and let us know.  We will have a better idea of what might be "going around" if we know why your child is home.
*Remember children with any of the following symptoms cannot remain in child care or return until they have been 24 hours symptom free:
     -Fever of at least 100* under arm
     -Diarrhea/vomiting
     -earache
     -Signs of irritability or confusion
     -sore throat
     -rash
  If your child doesn't have any of these symptoms, but isn't acting themselves, participating in normal daily activities, we will give you a heads up call to let you know how your child is doing.
*It is important when you receive a phone call that your child is ill, please make every effort to get to the child care as quickly as possible to pick up your child.  We believe that most people prefer to be home in a comfortable environment when they are ill; this is especially true for children.
*Return to care - if your child is symptom free for 24 hours (note overnight is not 24 hours) your child can return.  If your child is required to be on medication, we must have a note from the doctor and you will need to complete a medication authorization form.

Thank you for being part of our team, working together to help our children succeed!

Goals and Objectives of Children's Village Child Care

At Children's Village each child is viewed as an individual with limitless potential.  WE understand that both cognitive and physical milestones can be reached at each child's own special pace.  To foster a child's curious nature and build on an innate love for learning, we have established the following goals focused on your child's development:

1.  To build a foundation that will develop school competence and kindergarten readiness;
2. To promote the development of each child into a self-confident, risk-taking lifelong learner;
3.  To recognize that all children learn differently, are not on the same timeline and are most successful in a child-initiated learning environment;
4.  To foster a feeling of being loved and welcomed by providing an environment where the love of Jesus is expressed openly;
5.  To teach children to honor and respect each person regardless of cultural differences or differing abilities;
6. To create an active partnership with families based on cooperation and respect to provide consistency for your child's development.
(From Children's Village Parent Handbook, pg. 2)

Parent Partnerships

Children's Village is committed to providing a loving and nurturing environment in a Christian based program where your child can build positive relationships with others and foster a love of learning.

One of most important keys in helping children to develop those positive relationships and love of learning is the partnership between teachers and parents.  Over the few weeks that I have been here I have been very impressed with the teachers strong desire and commitment to communicating with parents.

It is my goal to build on that strong foundation.  To that end, The Village News, Children's Village Child Care website, and Facebook are going to be some of the methods of communication to Parents.  We will also start a monthly newsletter in April which will be available online and in print.

Each week, on this blog we will review a policy, procedure, or information that will help all of us to be on the same page in our goal of providing the best for our children.

Today, I have posted a Parent Resource Section in the blog and also updated the Resources section of our website to include the most current Parent Handbook (which will be re-published this fall), 2013 Holiday and Early Closures Calendar, and the 2012-2013 Tuition Schedule.

Please let me know if you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions for review topics for the blog.

Sincerely,
Royale