How to choose the right school Archives - Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center

Look & Listen – How to select the best school

Jenni Rice - Owner & Director — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 17:55:54 +0000

How to find & pick the best school & child care

Choosing the right preschool, daycare, infant care, childcare, pre-kindergarten or school is easy when you know how to look and listen for the right things.

Look for

Smiles	A quality program is full of smiles. Look for smiles on the children’s faces. Smiles on the teachers’ faces. And greetings with smiles.
Comfort	You should feel welcome & comfortable right away.
Happiness	Look around you. Do the children seem happy? Are their needs being met?
Educated, Knowledgeable, Helpful & Interactive Teachers	The best schools have teachers who teach the children & the parents. They help you become better parents with their knowledge, helpfulness & expertise. Look for educated-trained teachers who are eager to share their tips & tools & help you & your family. Look for teachers who interact with the children; dressing up, playing alongside, singing with…
Cleanliness	Is the facility clean? Is it too clean? Remember a good program incorporates a lot of messy activities. A spotlessly clean facility usually means the activities are not hands-on. Look for signs of lots of fun balanced with cleanliness. A high quality center is cleaned throughout the day & nightly by a professional crew.
Children’s Projects	Look for children’s projects displayed throughout the classroom. There should be a combination of academic work, crafts & open ended activities like finger painting, drawings, science projects, cooking projects…
Parent Information	Every quality program should have parent information available in each classroom & online; website, social media, text & email reminders. You should look for calendars, lunch & snack menus, emergency procedures, curriculum, newsletters & more.
Parent Involvement Opportunities	Can you drop in anytime? Read a story to the class? Nurse your infant? Have lunch with your child? Participate in planned field trips & events for holidays & hands-on learning with your children? A great program will let you be as involved as you would like. Look for a calendar of parent participation events.
Equipment, Toys & Manipulatives	Look for an assortment of items that are age appropriate. Quality classrooms not only have toys, manipulatives & arts & crafts supplies, they also include real world items. Look for dress up clothes, real magazines, books, measuring cups, etc. Outside look for fun, safe, age appropriate equipment, shade, sun, trees, grass…
References & Reviews	A quality preschool & infant care will have lots of online reviews & gladly distribute a list of currently enrolled families as references. If you don’t see them, ask for them.
Safety	Look for high door knobs. Low ratios. Teachers trained in CPR & First Aid. Look for an open door policy for currently enrolled families, sign in & out procedures & I.D. requirements. Look for programs that practice, plan, & post emergency procedures.
Quality Curriculum	A quality curriculum incorporates traditional academics with hands-on developmental activities. Look for a curriculum that includes regular field trips & on campus events. Look for a curriculum that allows children to learn at their own pace. One that accepts children of all races, ethnic backgrounds & religions. One that encourages children to think for themselves & explore their newly learned skills.
Photos & Videos	Look for photos & videos on Facebook, G+, etc. A great program will post regularly so you can always see what’s going on.

Listen for

Greetings	The best teachers will greet you & your child when you first visit & everyday after.
Laughter	A quality classroom is full of laughter & giggles. You shouldn’t have to listen too closely to hear it.
Noise	Yes, noise. If you are not a teacher, you will find a quality classroom noisy. You should hear children playing, laughing & learning the moment you walk in the door.
Caring Teachers	Caring teachers don’t shout out demands. They sing songs, play games for transitions & ask children. Listen for phrases like this “Busy Bees please line up at the green door. It’s time to use the bathroom.”
Appropriate Praise & Recognition	Listen for positive phrases. “I knew you could do it!” “I’m so proud of you.” “Did you do that yourself?” “I like the way you painted that red.” Preschoolers should be appropriately praised & recognized by loving teachers who use positive phrases to help children feel good about themselves & their accomplishments & repeat appropriate behaviors.
Music & Movement	Is there music playing? Listen for classrooms with music available all day long. The best programs play not only children’s music, but all kinds of music. Are there games & activities planned around music? Does the curriculum specifically incorporate music appreciation?
Singing & Rhymes	Listen for singing rhymes. Do the teachers sing to the children? Do the children sing? Singing & rhyming is an important part of early learning. Educated teachers know that singing encourages participation, self expression, language & vocabulary development & makes everyone feel good. It’s fun and educational to sing & rhyme.
Reading	A great program knows that children should be read to often throughout the day. Do you hear any reading going on? Is reading scheduled throughout the day? Are parents encouraged to read at home too? Reading daily is one of the most important things educators & parents can team up together to do to help children learn.
Playing	Children learn best through hands-on activities like playing. Listen for children playing & interacting with each other & their teachers. Quality schools incorporate a lot of playing. You should hear children pretending, rhyming, singing, running, jumping, knocking over their block towers, making music & sounds… You should hear teachers encouraging appropriate play & interacting & playing too.
TVs, ipads, iphones, videos…	If you hear TVs, ipads, iphones, videos… head for the hills! Qualified educators, doctors & child care professionals know children do not need screens in preschool. Screen time should be nonexistent in preschool before age four & even then extremely limited.
Parents Comments	If you happen to see another parent there, listen to what he or she has to say about the school. Would he or she recommend it? Ask the director for a list of references & search online for reviews. The best programs will have a lot of online reviews, a great social media presence & proudly hand out references.
To Yourself	Most importantly listen to yourself. Do you feel comfortable with the school? Do you think your child will enjoy the program?

Handout Version

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Finding the Right Daycare, Childcare or Preschool

Jenni Rice - Owner & Director — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 23:59:16 +0000

Should you choose in-home care, a nanny, a baby sitter, daycare, infant care, childcare, early childhood development, nursery school, preschool? The options seem endless. Finding what is right for you and your family is very rewarding. It doesn’t really matter what type of care they call it. It’s the people and the curriculum that create the program. So what’s right for you?

You won’t really know until you start visiting places that interest you.

To get started, create a list of places you’d like to see and develop a basic idea of what you are looking for. Google, ask friends, neighbors, co-workers. You’re sure to find advice. It’s important that you don’t let others make the decision for you.

No matter what kind of childcare you are considering, look for care providers who:

Are kind and responsive. Good care providers enjoy being with children, are energetic, patient and mature enough to handle crises and conflicts. Have experience working with young children and like them. Find out how long the providers have worked with children, why they are in the child-care field and whether they provide activities that are appropriate for your child’s age. Observe the providers with other children. Do the children seem happy? How do the providers respond to them?
Recognize the individual needs of children. Look for care providers who are considerate of different children’s interests and needs and who can provide your child with enough attention.
Have a child-rearing philosophy that is similar to your own. Find out what kind of discipline the providers use and how they handle problems.

Be certain that the childcare facility is clean and safe. Check to see that it is full of equipment and materials that will allow your child to explore and learn, including plenty of books and separate areas of different kinds of activities.

When you visit preschools ask:

What is the preschool’s philosophy and how is it implemented?
How will I know how my child is doing? How do you keep parents informed? Can I call, email, visit, chat at drop off & pickup time? Are more formal meetings or conferences available?
How can I be involved? Can I drop in anytime? Hang out? Read stories? Help in the classroom? Do I have to be involved?
How do you discipline children?
What will my child do on a typical day? What’s the class schedule of activities?
What are the backgrounds and education of the teachers? How long have they been teaching? How long have they been teaching at your school?
Can I speak with currently enrolled families?

When you speak to parents ask:

Is your child happy at the school? How has your child developed in the school? Does he talk about what he did or learned at school with excitement?
Is it easy to communicate with teachers, directors, owners?
Do your concerns get addressed timely?
Do you set up play dates with other children in the school? Do you know other parents?
How does the school communicate with you? Is there a newsletter?
Can parents volunteer? Are their opportunities for parents to help out in the classroom? Do parents have to volunteer or participate in fundraises?
Are you glad your child goes to school here? Do you recommend it?
What would you like to see improved at the school?

Think about what is important to you. Do you want a facility that is open and bright? A staff that is cheerful and caring? A corporate owned business? A family run preschool? Certified teachers? Teacher written lesson plans? Opportunities for your involvement? You’ll know exactly what you want when you find the right place.

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Structure or Free Play?

Jenni Rice - Owner & Director — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:06:31 +0000

Children love to play and they can do it anywhere. Doesn’t matter if it is at home, at daycare, preschool, their Child Development Center or at a romantic dinner with Mommy & Daddy. They learn through play and other hands-on activities. So should children simply have free play all day? Or is a structured environment better?

We say a little bit of both.

They love to touch and feel. Run and jump. Sing and dance. This is how they learn – by doing. But children also love routines. Routines provide the structure and dependability that children need.

Here is a sample of a preschool schedule that provides hands-on learning and free play with structure.

Structure & Free Time Will Boost Your Child’s Learning Ability!

Time	Activity
6:30	Arrival, breakfast, centers
8:30	Story Time
9:00	Bathroom
9:10	Snack
9:30	Circle Time
9:45	Table Work Time
10:00	Story Time
10:15	Outdoor Play
11:00	Learning centers
11:45	Music & Movement
12:00	Bathroom
12:10	Lunch
12:45	Bathroom
1:00	Nap
3:00	Bathroom
3:10	Snack
3:30	Outdoor or Indoor Play
4:15	Outdoor or Indoor Play
5:00	Bathroom
5:10	Snack
5:30	Story Time
5:45	Table Toys
6:30	Goodbye

Transitions between these activities will include creative developmental play in many different interest centers: table games, science centers, dress up centers, floor puzzles, table puzzles, library center, block center, rice and water tables, kitchen centers, make believe centers and much more. Times are approximate.

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Corporate Chain or Family Owned & Operated?

Robert Rice - Owner — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:55:30 +0000

Since 1978 Halsey Schools has been family owned & operated. As you start to visit preschools and daycare centers you’ll notice some are owned by large corporate chains and others are owned and operated by local families like yours. Your choice depends on your preference. Corporate franchised child care can have bureaucracies to deal with. While family owned preschools have owners who are easily accessible.

With on site owners you can get quick decisions and answers to your questions without the need to check with headquarters in some other state. You’ll be able to provide your feedback on ways to improve and see your ideas implemented. You’ll become a part of the program, a part of the family, not simply a guest or patron. So you guessed it we think family ownership and operation have many advantages over corporate run facilities. What do you think?

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