The Center for Early Learning at Piqua Catholic

The Center for Early Learning page will soon be joined with Piqua Catholic School's page. You will see our posts, photos, links, events and news feed on this page. Please look for us there!

Open Enrollment has started.
Reserve your spot - Enroll Now!

If you are interested in joining our program for the 2022-2023 school year - please contact us at [email protected] or call 937-773-3876

How to Build Executive Function Skills in Preschool

https://www.edutopia.org/video/how-build-executive-function-skills-preschool

How to Build Executive Function Skills in Preschool From imaginative play to storytelling, certain activities help build self-regulation, memory, and planning skills—setting the littlest learners on a pathway to academic success.

Photos from The Center for Early Learning at Piqua Catholic's post

During the first week of August our Summer Camp theme was Music. Students were able to learn about reading sheet music, how to compose, perform, and appreciate music. We made our own instruments using random craft supplies and materials and put together a Showcase Performance for the last day of Camp.

If you know anyone turning 3 this school year -Let them know that we opened up extra spots in our Preschool Program.
Contact me for Registration Information.
[email protected]
~Christy Hayes, Director

During Craft Camp, students created many grand
treasures. Students made snow globes, painted bird houses, beaded bracelets, decoupaged flower pots, and tie-dyed shirts. Each day was filled with wonderful hands-on activities for children to explore their creativity and feel a sense of accomplishment as they produced items that showcased their handiwork.

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
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Piqua Catholic's STEM Teacher is passionate about teaching Chess to students of all ages. He will often hold Chess Tournaments at our Parents Night Out events, STEM Camp, and at the North Street Campus After School Program.

In one study of kids with learning disabilities, researchers assigned students to receive either 5 hours of math instruction each week OR 4 hours of math and 1 hour of chess instruction each week. The kids were tested at the beginning of the school year and again at the end. The students who’d received chess lessons showed more improvement in basic math skills like counting and addition (Scholtz et al 2008).

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]

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Dancing with the Stars

Tickets are on Sale NOW!

Dinner Performance $30
Cocktails 6pm | Dinner 7pm | Show 8pm

Afternoon Dessert Matinee $10
Doors open at 12:15pm | Show starts at 1:00pm

Tickets can be purchased at Readmore's Hallmark in Piqua, Ohio

Have you ever wanted to see your STEM teacher and PS Director dance?
Here is your chance!
Bill & Christy Hayes will be performing in Dancing with the Piqua Stars on Saturday, Aug 28th.

This is a great fundraiser to benefit The Piqua Arts Council. You can show your support and help us represent Piqua Catholic by attending the event or going to www.piquaartscouncil.org/dancing-with-the-stars and cast your vote by clicking on the donate button below our name.
If you cannot attend or donate - please lift us in prayer (we need lots of those!).

Thank you.

Dancing with the Stars Dancing with the Piqua Stars is back, with a new cast and another exciting competition. A group of well-known community members will test new skills as they dance for charity at Piqua Arts Council’s tenth year of Dancing with the Piqua Stars. The popular fundraising event is modeled after the long...

During our STEM Camp, students were able to learn about forces, symmetry, probability, electrical energy, motors, basic programming, robotics, and SO MUCH More!!

If you are interested in enrolling at The Center for Early Learning - please contact Christy Hayes at [email protected]

Students who attend high-quality preschool programs reap benefits that can last through school and their lives, according to a review of research released by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI).
Research on early learning programs in the 1960s and 1970s revealed that benefits for children lasted into adulthood.
Students who attend preschool programs are more prepared for school and are less likely to be identified as having special needs or to be held back in elementary school than children who did not attend preschool. Studies also show clear positive effects on children’s early literacy and mathematics skills.
(https://learningpolicyinstitute.org)

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]

Please share this post and follow our page!

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

Our Summer Camp program hosted a Books & Beyond Week. Students explored various genres of literature and learned about many authors. They spent time coming up with their own ideas and became authors and illustrators this week. Each camper took home a book called "Dragon's World" written by 7 year old author - Saoirse Alexander. You are never too young to have your 1st book published!

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

We are in need of a part-time Teacher to work in our AfterCare program.
Must have Early Childhood experience.

Have you ever wanted to see your STEM teacher and PS Director dance? Here is your chance!
Bill & Christy Hayes will be performing in
Dancing with the Piqua Stars on Saturday,
Aug 28th. This is a great fundraiser to benefit
The Piqua Arts Council. You can show your support
and help us represent Piqua Catholic School by
attending the event or going to
www.piquaartscouncil.org/dancing-with-the-stars
and cast your vote by clicking on the donate button
below our profile. If you cannot attend or donate - please lift us in prayer (we need those!).
Thank you.
Christy Hayes, CFEL Director [email protected]

Play isn’t all fun and games — it’s also an important teaching tool! Through play, kids learn how to interact with others and develop critical lifelong skills.
Through play, children learn to think, read, communicate effectively, form unique ideas, problem-solve, and so much more!

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]

Please share this post and follow our page!

Developing fine motor skills in early childhood education helps build the foundation for important future skills like writing and self-care.
Fine motor skills involve the use of the small muscles that control the hand, fingers, and thumb. They help children perform important tasks like grasping toys, buttoning and zipping clothes, writing, drawing, and more.
Some children may struggle with performing tasks that use their fine motor skills. This can cause them to become frustrated and upset when they can’t complete everyday tasks. For example, a child may have a difficult time holding scissors and cutting along a dotted line. This could cause them to be frustrated at the task and avoid cutting exercises because they feel it’s too difficult.
(https://www.funearlylearning.com)

At The Center for Early Learning, we incorporate some great activities to help build your child’s fine motor skills that are fun, engaging.

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]

Please share this post and follow our page!

One of our favorite weeks during Summer Camp is Art Camp with Deb Zimmerman.
She taught us about several artists and exposed students to various art forms and materials.
We used pastels and water colors to recreate Monet's Water Lilies. Then molded clay to mimic O'Keefe's sculptures. Students tried Seurat's pointillism by dipping Q-tips into paint. They learned about DaVinci's diverse interests then made kites as he had. We duplicated Van Gogh's Starry Night and Sunflowers, made wire sculptures in honor of Calder, and collages in honor of Matisse.

It was a creative and engaging week full of fun and education!

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

Yes - We have spots available for the 2021-2022 school year!

We have grown and created room for Your Child!

ENROLL NOW before these spots are gone.
[email protected]

One of our most popular weeks during Summer Camp is Cooking Camp Week. Students made apple pie, cookies, veggie pizza, nachos, baked potato slices, and so much more! They also spent time making creative art projects, learning about kitchen safety, and graphing taste preferences. Thank you to the wonderful volunteers that came to help the week run smoothly. The mastermind behind it all is Brenda Karpinski and her right hand -
Tina Watts. We also had Don & Gloria Stonerock, Marv
& Karla Cool, Sara Macan, Sr. Mary Alice, Teresa Burnside, Karolina Polakowski, and Debbie Darner - along with our amazing Summer Camp staff - Brandy Ulbrich, Anita Polakowski, Amie Petty, and Kathy Bogart. ~Christy Hayes, Director

Our Summer Camp program has begun!
We provide a safe and enriching alternative for parents looking for summer care. Students can enroll in our Full Summer option which runs from 6/1 - 8/13 and includes Extended Care, or they can choose ala carte from specific themed weeks. This year’s themed weeks include: Multicultural Camp, Cooking, Art, Books & Beyond, STEM & Chess, Vacation Bible School, Craft, Music, and Fun & Fitness.
Our camp program is incredibly popular and tons of fun! [email protected]
~Christy Hayes, Director

Did you know that painting can help your child's brain grow?
Creative activities like painting, use a different part of the brain than reading and or math. The right side of the brain is our creative half and responsible for visual skills and understanding what we see through our eyes (which is still developing at the preschool age). Creative play and painting activities help exercise your child’s “right” brain leading to an overall healthy brain development
*https://kidssteamlab.com › preschool-paint

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

During our Summer Camp program, we hosted a Multicultural Week with our Spanish Teacher - Mr. Fall. He is from Senegal and can speak 7 languages.
Students were exposed to several of these as well as customs from around the world. We were able to video chat with a class In Africa. Children from both countries enjoyed asking questions and learning about each other. On our last day of camp, Mr. Fall treated everyone to an authentic Senegalese dish called “thieboudienne”. Several students asked for 3rd and 4th helpings! During the school year, students enrolled at The Center for Early Learning get to learn from Mr. Fall on a regular basis.
If you know anyone interested have them contact me at [email protected].
~Christy Hayes, Director

A child's social-emotional development motivates them to learn critical skills such as the ability to communicate, connect with others, resolve conflict, self-regulate, display kindness and empathy, and cope with challenges. These skills are crucial for school readiness.

At The Center for Early Learning, we work with each child to help them grow in these skills.

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

A high-quality Early Childhood Education plays a critical role in ensuring success in school and in life.
At The Center for Early Learning, our teachers are well educated on emergent literacy. They emphasize instruction on foundational skills which will ease the transition to formal reading and writing.
Our goal is to build precursor skills that students can utilize to fill in the blanks as they go.

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

At The Center for Early Learning, we offer much more than just the standard preschool experience.
We offer Extended Care, Summer Camps, Parents Night Out events, Spanish, STEM, a School Counselor, High-Quality Academic instruction, - and FUN activities & experiences.

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

The Top 5 Benefits to Playing Outside:
1) Builds physically healthier children. Nowhere is better than the outdoors for running, jumping, throwing balls, catching, pulling things, lifting and carrying objects.
2)Contributes to cognitive and social/emotional development.
3)Improves sensory skills.
4)Increases attention spans.
5)Happiness and better immunity.
~https://news.sanfordhealth.org

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

Did You Know?
Little ones often use their left and right hands until they discover a preference (typically between ages 4 and 6). Be sure to let your child decide which hand to use. For example, when you give him a pencil, hold it at the middle of his body so he can pick a hand to grasp it with.
~Resources for Educators

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

How to Raise a Child
1) Teach them the faith and foster it continuously.
2) Give them hugs and kisses every day (at least until they are teenagers and will no longer let you)
3) Keep them healthy, not only physically, but emotionally (numbers 1 and 2 go a long way toward that!)
4) Read them stories, especially at bedtime. When they are older - tell them Your story.
5) Treat them like they are smart, because they are.
6) Most importantly ("over all these"), let them know that they are loved - by you and by God!
~Terrence Hegarty in "Living Faith: Daily Catholic Devotions"

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

Preschool promotes social and emotional development

In order to learn, children need to feel secure and cared for.
High-quality preschool programs nurture warm relationships among children, teachers, parents, and support staff.

Young children learn social skills and self-control through “teachable moments.” Teachers will help children learn to manage a myriad of emotions as they interact with peers.

The structure of a preschool classroom is largely invisible.
Classroom space is organized to encourage social interaction, and minimize congestion and conflicts. Children get to make choices of activities, and when a child is wandering aimlessly they are encouraged to choose something of interest.

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

Preschool Promotes Self Worth

As children learn to take care of themselves and others, they develop a sense of competence and self-worth.
Teachers encourage children to consider how they can care for others. They might ask a “veteran” preschooler to show a newcomer where certain toys are kept.

In a high-quality preschool program, children are introduced to the behaviors required to function successfully in a kindergarten classroom. For example, during group activities such as “circle time,” children learn to focus attention on the teacher, listen while others are speaking, and wait for their turn to talk.

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

Preschool promotes Language Skills.

Did you know that between the ages of 3-5, a child's vocabulary grows from 900 to 2,500 words, and their sentences become more complex? Preschool provides opportunities for students to stretch their skills by asking questions, singing, and talking. They are exposed to new vocabulary during science, art, snack time, and other activities. Teachers often guide children to "use their words" and will provide a model to follow.

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

"Preschool provides an environment for children to explore, gain a sense of self, play with peers, and build self-confidence. Children learn they can accomplish tasks and make decisions without the help of their parents." (www.verywellfamily.com)

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

Photos from Piqua Catholic School's post

Our preschool is listed on Page 10 (#98)
Vote for us!

Let the voting begin! Each family member who has their own email can vote for Piqua Catholic school and The Center for Early Learning one time so make your vote count! Visit www.ohiocontests.com/contest/Miami-valley-today-readers-choice and vote today!!

"Students who attend preschool programs are more prepared for school and are less likely to be identified as having special needs or to be held back in elementary school than children who did not attend preschool. Studies also show clear positive effects on children's early literacy and mathematical skills." (learningpolicyinstitute.org)

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

Some of the best learning opportunities happen over a meal. School is no different. During snacks and lunch, our students have rich experiences. First, they learn to pray and thank God for all His blessings. Then they learn the art of table manners. Teachers remind the class of proper behavior when sitting together to eat. Finally, we teach children how to engage in conversations with their friends.

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

This first critical period of brain development begins around age 2 and concludes around age 7

FOCUS ON BREADTH, NOT DEPTH
One way to avoid focusing on results during this phase of development is to emphasize the breadth of skill development over depth. Exposing children to a wide variety of activities lays a foundation for developing skills in a range of fields. This is the time to engage children in music, reading, sports, math, art, science, and languages.
(Rishi Sriram, June 24, 2020)

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]

Please share this post and follow our page!

Encourage Curiosity.
Support your child's inquisitive nature by wondering aloud about everyday things. If she asks about the garbage truck - ask questions: "Where do you think the trash ends up?" Consider visiting the landfill to discover yourself. Curious children make eager learners.

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

10 Reasons to Send Your Child to Preschool

1) Preschool is an Opportunity for Growth
2) Preschool prepares a child for Kindergarten
3) Preschool promotes social and emotional development
4) The Preschool environment is structured (even when it doesn't seem like it)
5) Children learn to make choices
6) Children learn to take care of themselves - and others
7) Preschool promotes language and cognitive skills
8) Preschool Teachers nurture curiosity
9) Preschool activities boost pre-math and literacy skills
10) Preschool helps develop motor skills

~GreatSchools Staff | March 18, 2016

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
Please share this post and follow our page!

5 Ways to Support Children Learning to Write

Consider enrolling at The Center for Early Learning where every child is loved and enlightened.
For Registration Information please contact Christy Hayes at: [email protected]
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5 Ways to Support Children Learning to Write Handwriting instruction benefits from exercises that help young children build muscle memory, strength, and dexterity.