Program Philosophy Statement
We believe each child is a unique creation of God with special gifts, characteristics and needs. Learning about God and building a relationship with Jesus Christ at a young age positively affects that child’s life. We believe that children need a safe, nurturing environment in order to grow in all areas of development: physical, cognitive, social-emotional and spiritu
al. Young children learn best through play, exploration and age appropriate, hands-on activities. Our emerging curriculum, based on the children’s interests and needs, encourages a love of learning that will serve the children through out their education. We continually seek and plan learning opportunities which encourage, challenge and stretch a child’s thinking in all domains of the RIELS: Approaches to Learning, Social & Emotional Development, Language Development and Communication, Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Creativity, Physical Health and Development. We believe that teachers are important leaders, facilitators and role models in a child’s learning. The staff is dedicated to meeting each child at his or her own developmental level, providing many opportunities for practice and guiding him or her toward a level of proficiency. As the first and most important teachers in a child’s life, families are encouraged and welcomed to participate in their child’s learning process. We are dedicated to educating families with recent and relevant child development information and skills. We believe it is vital to the child’s development and learning experience to communicate and cooperate with families and include them as an essential part of the school experience. Hand in Hand Christian Preschool uses authentic assessment strategies and creates student portfolios to display the child’s work and growth. Collecting work samples from children in context of real-life situations creates an authentic and realistic picture of the child’s abilities, growth and progress. Work samples, observation, photograph’s and skills checklists are the tools used by the teachers to assist them in assessing a child’s development
Hand in Hand Christian Preschool is committed to support each child’s individual growth and development. Our staff believes each child has a unique and special way of learning, interests and God-given abilities. It is our goal and desire to provide a variety of activities and learning experiences to help discover and reveal these unique characteristics to the child, family and teachers. Our staff is committed to providing meaningful learning experiences for all students regardless of abilities, learning preferences, learning difficulties or diagnosed disabilities. Further, we believe all children with disabilities should be educated in the least restrictive environment possible. We are committed to working with parents and education teams to meet the needs of these special learners. Hand in Hand Christian Preschool believes that parents and families are the first and primary teachers of their child. We look to them as a resource and an integral player in their child’s development. We are committed to including them in all decisions regarding their child’s education and to providing families with relevant information about child development and the RIELS. We desire a comfortable environment in which families and teachers feel welcome to share feedback, observations and set goals for the child in our program