So grateful for all the children and families over the years. The NURSERY GARDEN
Home Child Care
910 Liberty Lane
West Kingston, RI 02892
Dear Parents,
I am now offering just one class, the Doves Class, which will meet Monday through Thursday, 9:00 - 1:30. This is a brief overview of the preschool format program I offer in my home. I call this program the NURSERY
GARDEN. This is a licensed Child Care Home. It is where children from 3 - 5 years old come to explore, create and be nourished with a daily and weekly rhythm. By rhythm, I mean a conscious repeating schedule that flows from expanding sorts of activities to more focused, directed, centering activities. We will begin most days outside for at least 30 minutes. When the weather is very cold or cold and wet we will start inside. When the weather allows we may spend much of our time outside. We have a daily routine that begins with a focused activity. Most weeks the activities include a baking day, a painting day, a walking day and a handwork day. Free playtime with open-ended experiences is central to our days. Play utilizes any and all materials in our space whether inside or out. After free play we clean our room or outside play area and prepare for circle and snack time. Our circle time includes seasonal songs, games and movement. Our snack time is a special time. We set the table or picnic blanket, do finger plays, have a little blessing and nourish ourselves as we enjoy each others’ company. One of our blessing we sing is:
‘‘Blessings on the blossoms. Blessings on the roots. Blessings on the leaves and stems. And blessings on the fruit.”
Our snacks are always wholesome with a whole grain element, a fresh fruit or vegetable and water or herb tea. Each week we have a new story. For one or more days the story is told on a table with puppets. The stories are simple animal tales or seasonal tales with small homemade wooden or cloth animals and dolls, cloth-rivers, pinecone trees and other such props. Some weeks we act out the stories. Our outside play area has two adjoining yards, each enclosed by a fence. One area is a yard with flower gardens, bushes, trees and a sandbox The other area is larger with paths in and around garden areas, including fruit trees, a climbing tree, swings, a climbing gym, some safe trees with low climbing areas and digging areas. We have riding and pushing equipment and all sorts of garden tools. Outside the fenced areas, there are fields, woods, paths and a shallow frog pond that we occasionally explore. There are 12 acres of property and the paths are regularly mown. Inside there is a large playroom used exclusively for this program. There is a large country kitchen, sunroom and mudroom and bathroom that is used by the children during our day together. This program is nature inspired. I appreciate simplicity. I love to keep the toys and props somewhat minimal and open ended in their many applications. They are simple, in that they are mostly homemade and purposely without too much fine detail. Imagination is at its peak in children of this age. With simple materials they are free to fill in all the details using their own experiences and ideas. This enriches and strengthens their creativity. We want to protect their childhood by not rushing them but rather allowing them time and space for their work and their valuable play. We help them in their socialization by gently guiding them into appropriate interactions in which each person is respected. There is a reverence here for the life in each other as well as the life all around us. The focus is on nurturing development, confidence and socialization not academics. In the natural course of our work and play the children learn counting and numbers. The letters of all the children’s names are viewed daily during snack time as we discuss up-coming helpers for each day. We measure and record things such as the growth in gardens we plant inside and out, favorite things and colors, the birds we view at our feeders and the children’s growth throughout the year. We celebrate birthdays in a special way. We bake a birthday cake on our baking day that week and make cards, celebrating the next day by honoring the child in a story about their own life. On the day we celebrate, the birthday child’s family is invited to come for the story and snack time. We have family events when possible:
Family Gathering one morning in early September before school
starts, usually on Saturday
2 all family events:
Lantern Walk - one night in early November after time changes
May Pole Gathering - one weekend afternoon in May
The largest group size is 8 children and there are 2 teachers. This is a wonderful first group experience for many children because of the small class size and also because it is in a home setting. This is comforting in many ways for the young child as they first leave their home and family. The Doves Class will meet Monday through Thursday, 9:00 - 1:30. The snack will be provided. Children will bring their own packed lunches. These programs start in September, the week after Labor Day, and go through the first week in June. We take the school holidays, including 2 weeks at Christmas time, one week in February and 2 weeks in April (as we have grandchildren in Seattle that we visit during their school break which is a week ahead of South Kingstown’s spring break). The school year ends after the first week in June. Warmly,
Anne Monaghan
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SCHEDULE OF TUITION AND FEES 2022-2023. All fees and deposits are non-refundable. TUITION: This covers the program for 9 months service payable on a 10 months’ schedule. Tuition payments are due On the first of the month or on the first school day of each month when school is in session,
August through May. Yearly Tuition $6900.00
Monthly Payments: $ 690.00
(Second child in same family, registered same year, receives a 10% discount)
REGISTRATION: (one-time fee)
Registration Fee: $45.00
DEPOSIT: One full month’s tuition is due as a deposit with registration. It will hold a place for your child each year. It will cover your May tuition when your child will not be returning the next fall. Deposit: $690
MATERIALS FEE: It is a yearly fee due. It is due May 1st or if you register later than that, due before school starts. Materials fee: $210.00. CALENDAR YEAR: These programs start in September, the week after Labor Day, and go through the first week in June. The NURSERY GARDEN
Home Day Care
910 Liberty Lane
West Kingston, RI 02892
[email protected]
