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Early Childhood Education

Welcome

We are committed to designing and providing developmentally and culturally appropriate education programs for young children that promote the development of the child in each of the developmental domains (Physical, Language, Emotional, Creative, Cognitive, Social and Spiritual), support family partnership, and are reflective of our community. Our EC3/4 and EC4/5 classes allow for children with a summer birthday to be placed in either class based on the results of the Approaches to Learning Assessment. The assessment identifies the level of an individual child’s skill development leading to an appropriate class placement. Both classes provide an enriching environment that targets the specific skill development of every child in each of the developmental domains.

Philosophy

We believe that children’s development is enhanced by professionals trained in early childhood education who model authentic and honest experiences, demonstrate value and respect for each and every individual, both child and adult, and recognize children’s play as an expression of intelligence and development.

The Program

All children enrolled at St. Anne are provided with responsive materials, significant time to become engaged in absorbent play, and relevant activities appropriate for their ages, interests, and temperaments. Emphasis is placed on interactive play and learning, creative expression, language development, problem solving, and a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities. A central feature is the fostering of self-regulation as children practice developmental skills. Family members are valued as essential partners and your ideas, insights, and participation are actively sought. We strive to reflect the standards of SPARK! QRIS (Quality Rating Improvement System) and NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children).

The program is inclusive and welcomes children and families of varying race, color, abilities, national and ethnic origin, and religious backgrounds. We believe that families, children, and teachers learn and develop through authentic collaboration.

Documenting development

Our ECE program uses portfolio books to organize the information regarding children’s development collected across a year. A portfolio book is typically organized by developmental domains (Physical, Language, Emotional, Creative, Cognitive, Social and Spiritual) and includes representative samples of children’s work and photographic documentation of learning. Children are often engaged in selecting examples of their “best work.”

Our Vision and Goals for Children

We are committed to supporting each child to:

  • Develop curiosity, a sense of wonder, and a life-long love of learning;
  • Be an effective communicator through language, literacy, and diverse forms of representation;
  • Solve meaningful and challenging problems;
  • Have a positive sense of self-identity and an understanding of diversity in the world;
  • Be a respectful friend, community member, and citizen.

Our Vision and Goals for Families

In developing a partnership with families we strive to:

  • Ensure families feel welcomed and included as valued members of the St. Anne community;
  • Advocate for the best interests of all children and the St. Anne community as a whole as articulated in the NAEYC code of ethical conduct;
  • Build trusting relationships that respect multiple perspectives, develop open and honest communication, and seek common ground;
  • Involve families in understanding the mission, values, and philosophy that guide our work with children;
  • Invite families to participate in the curriculum and center activities in meaningful ways by sharing their resources, ideas, knowledge, and culture.