Vision Statements & Policies

At our school, we start with the understanding that children are capable, competent, and full of wonder.  We believe it is our primary responsibility to help each individual child reach his or her greatest potential.  This begins with building a solid set of social-emotional skills, because we know that the ability to relate to others and to care for and be confident in ourselves is the bedrock upon which all other success lies. 

Children come to our school at a time when their minds are developing at a rate unparalleled by any other.  It is our responsibility to maximize this development by providing opportunities which will expand their ability to think, reason, analyze, relate, and understand.  We believe that learning is a process of construction, growth, and reflection.  Children learn best by actively exploring the world with the intentional support of adults, and it is our mission to create an environment that is worthy of their exploration: an environment in which children will encounter many questions to ponder, many materials with which to experiment, many opportunities to experience, and many relationships to build.  By providing this type of content rich environment, we facilitate children’s ability to create their own understandings, and to add to them over time, thereby constructing their own knowledge. 

Toilet training is a very individualized experience for each child and each family.  We will collaborate with families to support their children through this process and set them up for success!  This is one arena in which the children have much more control than their adults.  If a child is not ready, it is not the right time to toilet train, even if the parents are ready.  We respect the individual needs of our students and will never force a child who is unwilling to use the toilet to do so.

While a child is toilet training, parents should send additional underwear, bottoms and shoes just in case.  Accidents happen, and it’s okay.

Faculty members routinely observe each child’s development, including but not necessarily limited to speech, articulation, social-emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and physical development. The development of classroom management strategies and strategies for individual children occurs on a regular basis and is communicated to parents as needed. On occasion, the teacher’s observations indicate potential benefit from intervention, comprising additional classroom strategies and/or referral for observation by a specialist.

In the event that the teacher feels additional support is warranted, the teacher records observations and shares them with the Director.  The Director and the teacher establish a plan for further support which may include such steps as further observation and documentation, follow up meetings, creating a list of classroom strategies to assist the child, conversation/s with the family, and recommendations for observation by a specialist. 

The observation, and any subsequent evaluation or therapy, may be supported by the school to the extent that it benefits the child and/or parents. To best support the needs of the child, and so that the school can work together with the parents and the specialist as a collaborative team, the school will ask parents to complete the Authorization for Observation Form, providing written authorization for the teacher and the Director to work directly with specialists.  It is the parent’s prerogative to decline to provide such authorization, and it is the teacher’s responsibility to accept this decision in a non-judgmental way.

Documentation of all observations and meetings between faculty and parents will be kept confidential.