Program at a Glance: Kindergarten Care

Snack:

MLEDP uses guidelines for healthy and appropriately portioned snacks. A snack calendar will be posted in the parent area as well as daily snack options posted on the center calendar. Please let the Center Director know if your child has any allergies or dietary restrictions. Snack is a time where children are encouraged to serve themselves, socialize with the group and ensure the snack area is cleaned up as a team. MLEDP staff will demonstrate and positively reinforce appropriate conversation.

Active Play:

MLEDP encourages safe play and good sportsmanship in all active play. Most centers have access to both the gym and outdoor areas. Due to Department of Human Services regulations, children in MLEDP are not permitted to use the playground equipment. Weather permitting, we will be outside daily. Please be sure your child is dressed for the weather. Our staff will plan and implement age- appropriate games, sports and challenges that will keep your child engaged and moving during active club time. While competition is not our priority, children will be encouraged to play large group games together and will be expected to manage disappointment and game loss where appropriate. In our group setting the children will be required to remain within the boundaries set by staff. Please speak with the staff team if you anticipate any challenges for your child in this area.

Table Activities:

Daily, the center will set up table activities including board games, manipulatives, card games, art activities, science projects, books, puzzles etc. Each center is arranged in a way that fosters a positive homelike atmosphere. We are not an extension of the school day, and the children should feel the difference upon arrival at the center. The children are expected to be considerate and respectful of other group members while working as a team to maintain a safe center at all times.

Theme Activity / Clubs:

Staff members will provide a variety of developmentally appropriate activities which will engage the child socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually. The staff teams meet on a regular basis to maintain written daily and weekly plans. These weekly calendars will be posted in the parent area as well as the MLEDP website: center profiles

Group Meeting:

A key component to the program is the daily group meeting. It is a time to build community, provide leadership opportunities, instill communication skills, and have fun together. Though each center adapts the meeting for their own needs, the consistent Elements are: Compliments & Concerns, a brief fun activity to build community, and explanation of the activities and clubs from which the children may choose. Many centers utilize child leaders in meetings and activities. This is a time for children to feel listened to, respected, and to take ownership of the program.

Story Time:

All Kindergarten Care programs have a literacy component planned into every weekly theme. A story is read at each group meeting giving the children a daily mini lesson take- away.

Tag Supervision System:

Children are carefully supervised using our “tag system”.  The staff must always know the location of the children. Each staff member is given a group of up to 12 children to supervise.  The staff member wears the tags of each assigned child in the group. It is the responsibility of the staff person to always know the names and whereabouts of the children on their assigned tags. Safety is the number one priority at MLEDP and through our tag system and periodic checks we can ensure that all children are being safely monitored.

Kindergarten Bus:

For students at Howe and Hoover kindergarten centers, MLEDP contracts with Matthews Bus Company to transport the kindergarten children to and from their home school. A kindergarten staff person always accompanies the kindergarten children on the bus. In addition, bus waiter staff will ensure the safe arrival and departure from the home schools.