Child Study Center

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Center Goals

As teachers of your child we will strive to:

• Create an environment that is psychologically safe and supportive;
• Foster the individual child's independence;
• Encourage enthusiasm for learning;
• Provide opportunities to develop psychomotor skills;
• Help each child understand the limits and expectations of the center;
• Provide an environment that taps the young child's natural creative potential and budding scientific curiosity;
• Offer activities/projects which will provide your child an opportunity to make choices according to his or her interests;
• Protect your child from health and safety hazards;
• Provide your child with opportunities to work cooperatively with other children.

Family Communication

Child Study Center staff are eager to communicate often and effectively with families. Several factors come into play when attempting to communicate with working families who have children in full-time care. We understand that families are very busy, schedules are complicated and the need to know about your child's daily care is important. The following are some methods we have developed to help keep you informed about your child's stay at the Child Study Center:

1. Personal contact with your child's teachers
2. Use of daily reflection boards
3. Family mailboxes
4. Parent-requested conferences
5. Teacher-requested conferences
6. Portfolio assessments
7. Personal notes
8. Center-wide newsletter
9. Classroom newsletter and curriculum webs
10. Centrally located family information board
11. Conversations at beginning or ending of day
12. Phone calls and e-mails
13. Parent meetings to discuss specific topics
14. Staff mailboxes
15. Notes on clipboards, doors, walls, etc.
16. Teacher notes (notepad and pencil available put side each classroom area)

We are truly concerned about family communication and how to make it useful for everyone involved. Classroom teachers and administrative staff are always open to new and/or better methods of communication with families. Please help the classroom teachers and administrative staff understand the best ways to communicate with your family. The children will benefit most if parents /guardians and childcare staff communicate effectively!

Guidance

It is our goal at the Child Study Center to help children learn to take responsibility for their own behavior. With this in mind, teachers use positive approaches to help children behave constructively. Guidance methods include redirection, positive reinforcement, encouragement, and consistent, clear rules that are explained to the children. Teachers strive to model behavior that teaches children how to resolve problems and conflicts.

Communication about discipline between parents and the Center is very important. Although families and the Center may not have identical methods of helping children develop responsibility for their behavior, it is important that we strive to communicate with each other and model behavior that teaches children how to resolve problems and conflicts.

If a child's behavior is believed to put other children or staff members at risk, we at the Child Study Center reserve the right to ask parents to immediately remove the child from the Center. We will continue to work with parents to help change the behavior; however, in the event that this is not successful, the parents may be asked to permanently withdraw the child from the Center. Parents will be given assistance in identifying other professional resources.