Library
Research cannot stress enough the value of reading to children everyday which is why we do just that. Children will be able to enjoy a variety of books to look at which will be rotated monthly which will enhance their appreciation towards different authors and styles of books (boar books, hard covers, picture books, etc)
Center time
During this time, your child has the opportunity to explore on his/her own in an unstructured environment how to manipulate the various play equipment in the classroom which is organized into different centers such as dramatic play (role playing), gross motor (block play and construction), reading center (many different types of books are displayed), open ended art center (filled with various materials to allow your child’s individual creativity to flow), playdough and putty table (helps with fine motor and is just fun), puzzles (fine motor and processing), sand/ water table (scientific discoveries are known to be made here), painting (miniature Picassos in the making) and manipulatives (lacing, beading, sorting, classifying, and construction). This is the optimum time for socialization to occur and we take full advantage of this time to give your child the necessary tools to socialize properly with their peer group by modeling appropriate responses both verbally and physically without being intrusive.
Circle time
This is the time when we sing our welcome song, learn about the shape, number, color, and theme of the month, the letter of the week, days of the week, months of the year, calendar time and the weather. We also learn songs and finger plays that tie into our monthly theme. This is also when we teach our new words for the different language unit we are currently studying. With the letter of the week, we combine animated literacy and the visual phonics program, «See the Sound». This combination allows for all types of leaners (visual, audio or kinesthetic). This really helps with phonemic awareness (sound of the letter) and gives more cues for your child to remember this. For the color of the month we have a color board that we ask children to bring something from home that we can either staple or pin to the board. Please label the item with your child’s name so we can return it faster. The colors vary month to month so check your newsletter to see which color it is.
Classroom Parties
We will be having 5 parties throughout the year:
- halloween
- christmas
- Valentines Day
- Penny Carnaval/ End of the year
- Year end celebration
On these special occasions we invite your whole family to come and enjoy there days with us. There will also be edible craft sign up sheets posted on the parent board. These items could include a tub of icing, sprinkles, cupcakes, sugar cookies, smarties, licorice, punch, etc. We ask that parents sing up for one food item for each party session that your child attends.
Class pictures
We are pleased to bring in a professional photographer in the fall of each year who will be taking both class and individual photos. Proofs will be sent home with will allow you to choose your child’s favorite pose and package. Pictures will always be ready in time for Christmas.
Parent Volunteers
Building Blocks Childcare Centers thoroughly encourages parent volunteers to come into the classroom. This involvement allows you to see what your child does while in school. Children love to share his/her day at Daycare with Mom or Dad and we love to take this opportunity to get know you as well. Please feel free to sign up on the day that you wish to volunteer on the snack schedule, which is posted on the parent board. Please take note that we are unable to accommodate younger siblings coming in with you to volunteer. Please note that it is our policy that children are with us for at least one month before you come in to volunteer because we want to give your child time to adjust to the fact that this is their place and not for Mom or Dad to stay with them. We find the adjustment period goes a lot faster if they are used to staying on their own. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Duties of parent volunteers could include:
- greet other children and help with goodbye’s
- sit with the children during circle time
- assist with free play centers
- assist with snack
- assist with clean up
There are other ways to show interest in your child’s daycare if coming into the classroom is not possible for you.
There include:
- Discussing any problems or worries with us
- reading the monthly newsletter and parent board
- collecting «junk materials» for use in crafts
- craft/snack preparations
The whole family participate in our class parties.
Field trips
We will be taking 8 field trips (October-May) which may or may not correspond with the monthly theme and some are definitely dependent on the weather. All children 3 and up will have the opportunity to participate in all of the field trips. Information about the specific trip will be written in the newsletter with a permission form. Parent volunteers are always very welcomed, however please make alternate arrangements for siblings.
Languages
At Building Blocks Childcare Centers we recognize the importance of learning an appreciation for different cultures which is why we have developed three language units: Japanese, Spanish and French. Each Unit will cover counting 1-10, a song, colors, 18-22 words. This really enhances your child’s self-esteem by feeling they are «smarter» then Mom and Dad.
GYM and Active play
We strongly believe in the importance and value of daily physical activity. This helps develop gross motor skills which are vital in your child’s ability to play sports, utilize the playground equipment, etc. GYM time consists of utilizing equipment such as balls, basketball hoops, slides, bean bags, obstacle courses or tumbling on the mats. We also play counting games such as What TIme Is It Mr.Wolf? (We count in our different languages) as well as Duck Duck Goose and Simon Says. Some days we may learn some new dance moves and other days, you might catch us just playing tag!
Prepping to print
Aiding your 3 year old in the development of fine motor skills necessary for printing and cutting. Your child can bring home work sheets showing how he/she is able to trace and cut different patterns, eventually starting to print their own name. This will help set the foundation for their next year with us when they start our pre-k program.
Music time
This is a really fun part of our program in which we go to the music room. Here we will learn and play different rhythm instruments, what the different music notes mean, keeping a beat to a certain rhythm and playing various games which involve singing, cooperative play and hand-eye coordination.
Parent conferences
We have two parent conferences throughout the year which are in November and March/April. These serve as a one on one time with just the teachers and yourself to talk, without distraction, about your child’s progress in the program and any questions, concerns and programming goals you or we have. Please try to make alternate arrangements for your child during these these times so we can talk openly.
Junior Kindergarten
We will be using different media such as worksheets and games to help with the comprehension and practice of such skills. Your child will be sent home with a duo tang to keep all of his/her worksheets in and also allows you to see what your child is doing. Please be sure to send this back everyday to school as we need it to keep track of what your child did last and how it was done.
Kindergarten enhancement
This is very similar to our Junior Kindergarten program however more advanced to keep your child learning and challenged.
Show and tell
Once a month your child may have show and tell. Only on these trays do we allow toys to come from home. Toys from home can get broken or lost and usually do not liked to be shared too much so we ask that unless it is show and tell time please do not allow your child to put toys in his/her backpack. For show and tell we ask that the children bring something that is somehow related to our month which could be the theme or the color, or the number, or the shape, or the letters of the month.
