Palcare

PALCARE INC.'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE QUALITY CHILD CARE AND EARLY EDUCATION AND TO ADVOCATE FOR THE CHANGING NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

PALCARE PRESCHOOL/PRE-K PROGRAMPALCARE'S PRESCHOOL/PRE-K PROGRAM COMPRISES ACADEMICALLY DISTINCT PRESCHOOL AND PRE- KINDERGARTEN COMPONENTS. THE PRESCHOOL CLASSROOM IS ORGANIZED INTO LEARNING AREAS SO THAT CHILDREN CAN FIND THE MATERIALS THEY WISH TO USE. THE LEARNING CENTERS INCLUDE THE LIBRARY, DRAMATIC PLAY, ART AND CONSTRUCTION BLOCKS, MANIPULATIVES AND PUZZLES, SCIENCE, MATH, NATURAL HISTORY, LANGUAGE AND MUSIC. MOST MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE CHILDREN ON OPEN SHELVES. TEACHING TEAMS TRANSFORM THE ENVIRONMENT PERIODICALLY TO PROVIDE NEW OPPORTUNITIES. EACH CLASSROOM CONTAINS SEVERAL SMALL SPACES TO ENCOURAGE SMALL GROUP PLAY AND TO PROVIDE A BIT OF PRIVACY THAT CHILDREN NEED. PARENTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO HELP US TO DEVELOP THE ENVIRONMENT BY BRINGING IN MORE PROPS FOR A LEARNING CENTER OR SOMETHING OF BEAUTY OR CURIOSITY FROM THE NATURAL WORLD FOR THE CHILDREN TO EXPLORE. OUR PLAY YARD HAS A CURRENT DESIGN OF CLIMBING STRUCTURES, WHICH IS CHALLENGING, YET SAFE. THE YARD ALSO FEATURES PLAYHOUSES, A TRIKE RUN, SAND BOX, BALANCE TOYS, SENSORY TABLES, ART EASELS, BALLS AND MORE. THE YARD MEETS THE LATEST PLAYGROUND SAFETY REGULATIONS AND IS STILL LOTS OF FUN! OUR PRE-KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PREPARE CHILDREN TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND COMFORTABLE IN KINDERGARTEN, WHETHER THEY GO TO KINDERGARTEN IN THE FALL OF THE CURRENT YEAR OR SPEND TWO YEARS IN OUR PROGRAM AND HEAD TO KINDERGARTEN THE FOLLOWING FALL. THE PUBLIC SCHOOL REQUIREMENT FOR KINDERGARTEN IS THAT CHILDREN MUST BE FIVE YEARS OLD BY SEPTEMBER 1ST. WE BELIEVE THAT LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT IS NOT A RACE BUT A COMPLEX, RICH PROCESS. EVERYTHING WE PLAN AND DO WITH THE CHILDREN IS INTENDED TO HELP THEM HAVE A STRONG, SOLID FOUNDATION. OUR APPROACH INCLUDES DAILY EXPERIENCES IN LANGUAGE, LITERACY, MATHEMATICS, NATURAL SCIENCE, MUSIC AND ART. OUR GROUP SIZE OF APPROXIMATELY 20 CHILDREN, WITH CREDENTIALED, EXPERIENCED PRE-KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS, ENSURES THAT THE CHILDREN WILL RECEIVE INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION AND SUPPORT FOR THEIR LEARNING. EVERY WEEK THE CHILDREN HAVE ENRICHMENT CLASSES IN MUSIC AND MOVEMENT EDUCATION IN ADDITION TO THEIR CLASSROOM DAILY ACTIVITIES. EACH CHILD MAY ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE "RAISING A READER" BOOK BAG PROGRAM, A WONDERFUL LITERACY BUILDING EXPERIENCE!

PALCARE INFANT PROGRAMTHE INFANT PROGRAM HAS TWO GROUPS: THE YOUNGER BABIES GROUP IS CHILDREN THREE MONTHS OLD UP TO THE TIME THEY ARE WALKING OR BEGINNING TO WALK. THE OLDER INFANTS GROUP IS EARLY WALKING BABIES UP TO 24 MONTHS OLD. THE YOUNGER BABIES CLASSROOMS PROVIDE A GENTLY STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT WITH EQUIPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL PLAY MATERIALS THAT ENCOURAGE BABIES TO SAFELY EXPLORE THE PHYSICAL WORLD AND WHAT THEIR BODIES CAN DO. YOU WILL NOT FIND RESTRICTIVE EQUIPMENT SUCH AS WALKERS, BOUNCERS OR PLAYPENS IN THE CLASSROOMS. THEY ARE NOT SAFE OR HEALTHY FOR YOUNG CHILDREN IN GROUP CARE. THE OLDER INFANTS CLASSROOMS OFFER MORE CHALLENGING EQUIPMENT AND INTRODUCES CHILDREN TO ART MATERIALS, MANIPULATIVE, PUZZLES, BLOCKS, OUTDOOR PLAY AND MORE. ALL INFANT PLAY ENVIRONMENTS FEATURE LOTS OF BOOKS, PICTURES AND MOBILES. EACH IS DIVIDED INTO SMALLER PLAY AREAS SO THAT CHILDREN WILL INTERACT IN SMALL GROUPS, AS IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR AGE. EACH CLASSROOM HAS A SEPARATE SLEEPING ROOM(S). YOUNGER BABIES ARE PROVIDED WITH SLEEPING MATS AND OLDER INFANTS USE SLEEPING COTS. NOTE! MOST WEEKS THE OLDER INFANTS GROUP HAS MUSIC AND MOVEMENT ENRICHMENT CLASSES ONCE A WEEK IN ADDITION TO THEIR CLASSROOM DAILY ACTIVITIES.

PALCARE TODDLER PROGRAMTHE THIRD YEAR OF LIFE, FROM 25 TO 36 MONTHS, IS ANOTHER CRITICAL PERIOD FOR HEALTHY BRAIN DEVELOPMENT. IT IS THE TIME WHEN CHILDREN GAIN GREATER CONTROL OVER THEIR BODIES, BEGIN TO DEVELOP A VOCABULARY AND FIRST BEGIN TO SUSPECT THAT THEY ARE NOT THE VERY CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE! AS WITH THE INFANT PROGRAM, WE BELIEVE TWO-YEAR-OLDS NEED RESPECT, NURTURING CARE AND INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION. THEY ALSO NEED ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT WITH PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN THROUGH EXPERIENCE. THEY NEED SPECIFIC ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT TO COMMUNICATE THEIR FEELINGS AND NEEDS TO THE OTHER CHILDREN WITH WHOM THEY WANT TO PLAY. THEY MAY NEED ENCOURAGEMENT AND REASSURANCE WHEN THINGS DO NOT GO THEIR WAY.