WESTWOOD EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
Description
Who Will Your Child First Call "Teacher"?
Westwood Early Childhood Center is where your child begins the adventure of social and spiritual development. Our comprehensive, church-sponsored program serves infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers,in addition to providing nursery school, kindergarten, half and full days and kindergarten latch key care, all in an atmosphere of respect - evidencing the love of Christ.
This emotional climate is created by trained early childhood staff, working in partnership with parents and trained volunteers, to help each child develop a positive self image and maintain health and security.
A Ministry of the Congregation
WECC is an important ministry of Westwood and our children benefit from the congregation in many ways. We share church space and church volunteers assist in the children's daily activities. In turn, children participate in meal-time prayer, weekly chapel, choir school, vacation bible school and mini-camps. (Click for the mini-camp schedules.)
Financial scholarships are available from the church for families in need.
Primary Care Givers
Emotional stability enables learning and growth. As a result, each child has a primary care giver responsible for his or her well-being and development. Detailed daily reports document development while regular parent conferences focus on expectations and progress.
Primary care givers hold college degrees, most in early childhood education. They are skilled and passionate about child development and observation. Competitive pay and comprehensive benefits help retain these valuable and caring professionals.
Physical Space
Our learning environment provides ample space for each child in our eight sunny classrooms, gymnasium, library and worship sanctuary. Outside, the fenced playground and flower gardens overlook Hannon Lake's wooded shore.
Meals, Nutrition & Health
Breakfast and hot lunches are served daily. A nurse consultant is on-call and makes monthly visits.
Accreditation
The WECC is an early childhood program for children that is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. NAEYC administers the largest and most widely recognized national, voluntary, professionally sponsored accreditation system for all types of early childhood schools and child care centers. NAEYC is the nation's largest organization of early childhood educators.
What is accreditation? Early childhood programs accredited by NAEYC's National Academy of Early Childhood Programs have voluntarily undergone a comprehensive process of internal self-study, invited external professional review to verify compliance with the Criteria for High-Quality Early Childhood Programs, and been found to be in substantial compliance with the Criteria. A copy of the Criteria can be obtained from NAEYC.
What is a high-quality early childhood program?
A high-quality early childhood program provides a safe and nurturing environment while promoting the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of young children.
In accredited programs, you should see
- frequent, positive, warm interactions among teachers and children
- planned learning activities appropriate to children's age and development, such as block building, painting, reading stories, dress-up, and active outdoor play specially trained teachers and directors
- ongoing professional development
- enough adults to respond to individual children
- many varied age-appropriate materials
- respect for cultural diversity
- a healthy and safe environment for adults and children inclusive environments
- nutritious meals and/or snacks
- regular, two-way communication with parents who are welcome visitors at all times effective administration
- ongoing, systematic evaluation
Accreditation is valid for three years. During that period, programs should maintain compliance with accreditation standards, document program improvements, and provide notification about major changes.
For more information about NAEYC accreditation, visit www.naeyc.org or call 800-424-2460.
Letter in response to an enrollment application
Westwood Early Childhood Center serves children representing Westwood parents, parents with other church affiliations and parents with no church affiliations. A church-sponsored early childhood program offers a comprehensive program for nurturing the growth and development of infants through Kindergarten latchkey. We are accredited with the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs (NAEYC).
The emotional climate as created by trained early childhood staff working in team with parents and with trained volunteers provides security, develops positive self-image and encourages good health.
Observation and research by Piaget, Montessori, Erickson, White, Westerhoff, and many others indicate that the early years are crucial to development and learning. Leading educators and early childhood specialists agree, not only are the first five years critical for general learning but especially for forming attitudes toward learning and a way of life. Guided by Christian teachers in small and large groups, the young child can learn spiritual values through living and learning together in a Christian environment.
Our rooms are designed with Piaget's theories in mind. The use of picture labels allows order for carefully chosen materials. Each child is given a foundation for knowledge of objects, time and space.
Our learning environment provides a personal space for each child, and freedom to make the first movement of exploration with the role of the teacher as "a mentor stimulating initiative and research" (To Understand Is to Invent, 1973, p.16).
Children are allowed the needed space to play in large and small groups to work, to discuss, to be alone, to listen, to think, and to create. Children need clean air, freedom from excessive noise and a well-planned attractive environment indoors and outdoors. Our rooms are specifically planned to encourage independence in toileting, handwashing, getting drinks of water, and serving snacks.
We are open year round (unless specific holidays fall on weekday). Our current tuition sheet may be requested by calling 952-545-5624. Our staff ratio is based on age of child, room (i.e., 1:3 for infant through 15 months; 1:10 for kindergarten).
Enrollment Openings
Third Year Preschool/Kindergarten
Enrollments are open for Fall 2007 in Westwood's third-year preschool/Kindergarten experience.
There are a number of aspects of our program that are special and unique including:
- Small group size
- Master teacher in early childhood.
- Westwood Lutheran Church's nurturing environment for the whole family.
- High/Scope & MN Work Sampling trained staff.
- Reggio approach trained staff.
- Full day, year round program.
- Third-year preschool in which 5 year olds experience a 5-day morning program to enhance socialization, problem solving skills and abilities within a creative arts program.
- Multi-experience approach to materials to engage every child in meaningful representation and expression.
Call 952-545-5624 or stop by the office to schedule a visit with the Director, Marilyn Stalheim.
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