Infants are cared for in their separate classrooms. All classrooms care for eight children with a teacher and teacher aide. The Infants Department is headed by a Registered Nurse.
The Nursery:
The first year of your child's life comes with rapid changes in growth and development. Our Nursery cirriculum is based on knowledge of child development.
Setting achievable, but challenging goals that are age, individual and socially appropriate are important factors to our program. The babies are encouraged to explore and have fun. Thier attempts and accomplishments are praised so they may feel increasingly competent and self-aware. Everyday care giving routines such as mealtimes, diapering or sleeping are included in the nursery curriculum as well.
Trust is a very important factor for infants. In the nursery, infants are allowed to follow their own individual daily routine for feeding and naps. As we respond promptly to baby's need for food, sleep or comfort, a trusting relationship will develop so your child will feel safe and secure with us.
The Infant's Room:
These infants are the most mobile! Exploration takes center stage as these infants become more mobile. Mobility opens new worlds. As they play, mobile infants can be totally absorbed. Opening and shutting, filling and dumping, picking up and dropping are all activities that challenge their mobility and dexterity as well as their ideas about objects and what they can do.
This program allows your child to expand in the area of growth and development. We have planned activities such as art time, manipulative time such as blocks, shape sorters, musical toys, etc.
There is ample time for free play allowing the children to discover things on their own. Many of the art activities will be developed around the themes of the month. The children will be exposed to many different art mediums such as finger paints, sponge paintings, crayons and markers. Everyday is always an adventure.
Themes for the month include:
The color RED/Fruits, The color ORANGE/Fall, The color BROWN/Veggies, Winter Wonderland, Shapes, The color PINK/Baby Animals, The color GREEN/Transportation, The color YELLOW/Spring, The color PURPLE/Mother's Day, The color BLUE/Father's Day, Summer Fun and Ocean Life.
The following is our flexible daily schedule:
6:30 - 8:30 Children arrive. Free Play before Breakfast.
8:30 - 9:15 Breakfast, Diapering
9:15 - 10:15 Outside Walk and Play* (Gym Time)
10:15 - 11:15 Music (songs and dance), Art Experiences
11:15 - 12:15 Diapering, Storytime, Lunch, Preparation for Nap
12:15 - 2:15 Nap Time
2:15 - 3:00 Diapering, Afternoon Snack
3:00 - 4:30 Playtime (indoor or outdoor*), Games
4:30 - 6:00 Diapering, Stories, Supervised Free Play
*The children go outdoors everyday, weather permitting. Please dress your child for the weather. For safety reasons, sneakers are the required footwear.
updated 9/9/11