Loving & Learning Center
PRESCHOOL PROGRAM
The three-year-old is full of wonder, and spends a lot of time observing and imitating. They
love to spend time with adults and enjoy helping out with simple tasks. Four-year-olds are energetic
and imaginative. They often learn new words quickly and use them in chatting with others, telling
jokes and sharing wild stories. Five-year-olds are cheerful, enthusiastic and enjoy planning and
discussing who will do what. A “best friend” is very important, but hard to keep as social skills are
not well developed.
Our Philosophy
In order to foster quality care and "best practices" in early childhood
education, we at Loving and Learning Center encourage:
* Basic trust in your preschooler to be an initiator, an explorer and a selflearner.
* An environment for your preschooler that is physically safe, cognitively
challenging and emotionally nurturing.
* Time for uninterrupted play.
* Freedom to explore and interact with other preschoolers.
* Involvement of your preschooler in all activities to allow your child to become
an active participant rather than a passive recipient.
* Sensitive observation of your preschooler in order to understand his/her
needs.
* Consistency, clearly defined limits and expectations to develop discipline and
socialization.
We subscribe to the tenets of Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE), which are
appropriate for all ages. The vision of Magna Gerber’s non-profit organization is
that "from the day they are born, all [children] are cared for with respect and are
seen as unique individuals with surprising capacity to participate in relationships."
Based on this respect, the RIE Approach helps raise authentic preschoolers who
are competent, confident, curious, attentive, exploring, cooperative, secure,
peaceful, focused, self-initiating, resourceful, involved, inner-directed, aware,
and interested.
The Preschool Program
Our preschool program can accommodate up to 17 preschoolers from ages
2.5 to approximately 5 years. Because our preschool staff includes a full time
teacher and teacher’s assistant, there is at least a 1:9 adult to child ratio at all
times. Our preschool curriculum covers cognitive, creative, social/emotional, and
physical activities, is developmentally appropriate, and designed to meet the
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individual needs of each child. As preschoolers approach Kindergarten and
demonstrate readiness for a more structured curriculum, they will be offered the
opportunity to participate in our PreK program.
Communication
Communication between families and staff is vital for your child’s success and
happiness at Loving & Learning Center, and fostering a relationship of
understanding and cooperation with you is one of our highest priorities. Please feel
free to talk to us at any time if you have questions or concerns. If a subject needs
more time than a casual conversation, we’ll set up an appointment for a conference
with Teri and/or your child’s teacher.
In addition, we offer a Loving & Learning Center family newsletter and post
lots of interesting and useful information in our Parent’s Place.
Toilet Learning
By the time toddlers have “graduated” to the Preschool program, we expect
their toileting independence to be reasonably consistent, however we understand
that accidents happen and that some toilet learning will need to be reinforced.
What used to be called toilet training is now called toilet learning by those of us
who use a readiness approach and involve the child in the process. We are
successful teaching toilet learning because we:
 help preschoolers feel physically secure by providing low toilets. The easier
it is for children to get on and off the toilet by themselves, the more
independence is promoted.
 ask parents to dress preschoolers in loose, simple clothing they can remove
themselves (elastic waistbands rather than overalls or belts, for example).
 are gentle and understanding about accidents.
 avoid power struggles. Adults can’t win them, and children can be left with
long-lasting effects if toilet learning has been a stressful affair.
Environment
The preschool classroom is set up to offer your child an enriching curriculum
of cognitive, creative, social, and physical experiences to explore in a safe and
nurturing environment. At naptime, each preschooler will be comforted on his/her
own nap cot with their personal blanket. In our outside play yard, we have an
enticing selection of sandboxes, water tables, trikes, garden spaces, play
house/fort structures, and lots of loose toys. From time to time, we may go for a
nature walk to the tennis courts and play ground behind our center.
Daily schedule (reasonably flexible)
7:30 Breakfast (cereal, milk, fruit) available upon request.
Curriculum: activity centers, free play, stories, dramatic play, music
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9:30
10:00
10:30
11:45
12:30
2:30
3:45
4:00
5:30
Clean up, Circle Time
Hand washing & morning snack (ABC/Word Wall, Calendar, Weather)
Outside play
Hand washing, lunch, then potty before naps
Nap time, quiet toys
Outside play
Hand washing & afternoon snack
Activity centers, free play, stories, dramatic play, music
Pick-up time
TO KNOW WHEN ENROLLING:
 All snacks & beverages (milk, 100% juice) are provided; please send
your child with a healthy lunch in a labeled lunch box/bag.
 Please supply us an extra set of seasonal clothing, including pants,
shirts, socks, and a few pairs of underpants or pull-ups. Please be
sure the pants are potty-friendly with elastic waistbands.
 Your child might want his/her own small nap blanket (labeled). We
also have clean school blankets available.
 Sunscreen (seasonal)
PRESCHOOL
Contracted
5 full days (5-10 hrs.)
Monthly Rate
$685
4 full days
560
3 full days
435
2 full days
300
1 full day
165
5 half days (1-5 hrs.)
375
4 half days
310
3 half days
245
2 half days
185
1 half day
95
Not Contracted
1 full day (5-10 hrs.)
Hourly (1-5 hrs.)
55
9.00
L&LC, 1/15
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