Children are little explorers and their future is an adventure.
Welcome Parents!
Here Is Your Passport to Everything Safari
Children’s Safari Learning Center is a play-based educational center. Yes, learning happens during play. Play is both child-directed and teacher-initiated. Our staff is involved in play to encourage positive interactions and support your child’s learning. Continue reading for more useful information for prospective, new and currently-enrolled parents.
A Play-Based Education Center
From infancy, play teaches children about the environment around them. They learn communication skills, coping skills, how to use their hands and fingers, etc. Watch an infant shake a rattle…..the infant is learning cause and effect. When the infant moves her hand, the rattle makes noise.
A toddler stacking blocks learns the blocks must be stacked straight or their tower will fall. Straight is a concept used in math and writing. Block play promotes spatial recognition and problem-solving skills.
A preschooler learns to take turns when playing with the trains. Sorting colored objects is giving the child basic math skills. Cleaning up toys is teaching responsibility.
Running with friends on the playground is enhancing their gross motor skills.
A structured play-based environment helps children of all ages learn to follow rules, exercise self-control, and build relationships.
Our activities are age appropriate and designed to meet each child’s developmental milestones.
Nutrition
Healthy eating habits start a young age and stay with you for your entire life. We require that you do NOT send candy or soda to the center. We do allow parties for holidays and special occasions when goodies would be appropriate, however on a daily basis, it is very important to teach healthy eating habits. We all run out of ideas of what to pack in our children’s lunches.
We are also mindful of individual dietary needs. We understand that what is healthy for one child may not be healthy for another. Hence relying on families to prepare their child’s meals for the day.
In addition, every staff member is trained on food allergies and reactions.
See below for lunch ideas and more resources on nutrition.
Discipline
Children’s Safari Learning Center practices positive discipline techniques in an effort to teach and support self- discipline and self-regulation. Staff will encourage children to be active in resolving conflict behaviors and re-direct as necessary. Each classroom has a Cozy Corner for children to use if they feel they need to be alone and rest. We talk through incidents, turning them into teachable moments and providing tools for the children to use in the future. Parents will be notified if conflicts of the same nature occur regularly.
Children’s Safari Learning Center has a strict “no tolerance” policy for violence. Any child, parent, staff member, or visitor displaying violent behavior will be asked to leave the center immediately.
Holidays
Children’s Safari Learning Center will provide the following paid holidays to their employees therefore, tuition will be due for these holidays and alternate care is the responsibility of the parents. If any of these holidays fall on a weekend day, Children’s Safari Learning Center will communicate to parents and teachers if an alternate day will be named.
New Year’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving
Day & Day After
Christmas Eve will be decided each year
Christmas Day
Service Standards
At Children’s Safari Learning Center we understand you must make the difficult choice of entrusting others to care and educate your child during such early years of his or her life.
Children’s Safari commits to:
- Keeping your child safe and secure throughout the day
- Open and honest communication
- Partnership with parents and guardians
- Positive interactions with children
- Respect individual needs while providing community care
- Hire and retain qualified staff
- Continued professional development of staff and management team
- Advocacy of children’s issues in the community
PARENT RESOURCES
Parents and Guardians are most important in children’s’ lives. Therefore, we have an open-door policy and encourage parents and guardians to visit and participate at any time. To ensure your comfort with your child’s development, we have bi-annual guide/parent conferences, as well as daily reports, to discuss our observations of your child’s behavior and experiences.
Parent Communication & App
We’ve enhanced our communication to be all technology based. Procare Connect is a free phone app which allows you to engage with your child’s class and teachers throughout the day. Instantaneous updates are available online regarding the center as a whole and specifics related to your child. You will receive updates regarding daily activities, be able to message the staff, receive communication, sign your child in and out of our center, and more!
Forms and Links
Children’s Safari Learning Center is closely following the COVID-19 situation. At this time, we are taking additional precautions to ensure each child’s safety and health. To read about these precautions, please download our parent letter.
COVID-19 updates and information:
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-updates-and-information
Finding an appropriate child care center for our precious gifts can be difficult and stressful. I’ve learned from experience that centers are not always what they portray during the tour. Here are a few links of information to help you with your search. Thank you for considering Children’s Safari Learning Center!
Top Ten Things To Consider When Choosing A Child Care Center
To be considered for employment at Children’s Safari:
Online Employment Screening Form
Quality Childcare Checklist:
Child Care Tour Checklist
Choosing Care Worksheet
Information on Early Childhood Development (Zero to Three):
www.zerotothree.org
Arizona’s Child Care Resource and Referral:
www.arizonachildcare.org
Child Care Aware Organization
National Accreditation Sites:
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Accreditation Commission
Comprehensive Children’s Health Guide: Newborn to Preteen:
www.drugwatch.com/health/children/
Resources for proper nutrition and food allergies we refer to:
nutrition.gov/topics/nutrition-age/toddlers
https://nutrition.org/
https://www.foodallergy.org/
We all run out of ideas of what to pack in our children’s lunches. Below is a list of some ideas:
100% Juice
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Tortilla, Rice & Beans
Bananas
Peaches
Pasta
Graham Crackers
Fruit Smoothie
Milk
Jelly Sandwich
Goldfish Crackers
Cheese Rolls
Cooked Broccoli
Cheese Cubes
Granola Bars
Yogurt
Veggies & Dip
Pickles
Jell-O
Turkey Sandwich
Black Olives
Green Beans
Pudding
Raisins
Fruits
Cereal
Chicken Breast