March 2017 Calendars

We are taking a bit of a different approach to program planning for the next little while.  Please read below (from our curriculum statement):

 

The children at J.A. Cuddy Child Care Centre Inc. are celebrated as unique individuals who deserve a variety of opportunities to grow and develop to their fullest potential. We believe that children learn best through play, and we place great emphasis on a child-centred curriculum. Play is unlimited, open-ended, and spontaneous, stimulating imagination and expanding intelligence. Play has no extrinsic goals, and is often a testing ground for language and reasoning. Children’s play is based on their interests and ideas, and is often self-directed. Children are active learners who are curious about the world around them. As educators, we feel that it is important to offer a child-based curriculum that supports and extends children’s play.

            Our role is to enhance existing play situations by providing materials and opportunities for learning and growth. The curriculum at J.A. Cuddy Child Care Centre Inc. is based on goals for children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development while understanding each individual child’s needs, abilities, and interests. The main components contributing to our curriculum are the interactions and relationships between children and staff, the surrounding environment, and the implementation of planned and spontaneous experiences.

 

So, what does all this mean?? Basically, our talented staff at the centre plan their program around the children's interests.  Sometimes the children love the activities we implement, other times they don't.  We strive to provide as many learning opportunities as possible for the children throughout their day.  We often hear parents ask their children what they did at daycare today, the children say "played" or "I don't know."  We document our activities on white boards in the rooms, and on the chart in the front foyer, but at the end of the day when you are just trying to get out the door, an activity chart is the last thing you want to look at!  We decided that we want to let parents know what is coming up in each program in order to keep everyone well informed about what is going on. 

 

Take a look at our plans for the month of March.  Let us know what you think!  If you have any ideas to add, or any materials to bring in to enhance their learning, let the staff know. 

 

Please note, the Infant Program will be continuing to provide activities based on their children's interests, needs, and abilities.  They will not be doing a monthly calendar, with the exception of Spring Break & Summer.  If you have any questions about their programming, please see Sherry.