Developmental Preschool

What is my child actually learning in preschool? It looks like all you do is play.

            I get this a lot. A LOT. The short answer is, yes, we are playing. And yes, your child is learning. The long answer is, well, considerably longer. How much time have you got?

            Nature and Nurture is a developmental or play based preschool. We feel that children learn best through play, through actively exploring their environment and through actively manipulating materials. We carefully set up the environment (i.e. the classroom) to provide a variety of activities that children can engage in. A cozy corner with books, pillows, and stuffed animals encourages children to enjoy reading. A dramatic play area with a play kitchen, dishes and food, and dress ups encourages children to use their imagination and engage in pretend play. A block area (and train area as it happens) encourages children to think about spatial alignment and physics, such as gravity. Math and science toys encourage hands on exploration of concepts like weight, patterns, measurements, and quantity. Fine motor toys such as lacing beads and puzzles encourage children to improve their dexterity. A drawing table encourages creativity as well as fine motor skills. A sensory table allows children to experiment with different sensations. Children are very tactile and learn a lot about how materials behave by feeling them. A sensory table provides both sensory input and a chance to get messy. Playdough, shaving cream, dried beans, fabric scraps, etc are all engaging sensory materials. A one person table provides a safe, quiet place for a child who is feeling overwhelmed or just wants some space.

            The next component of a developmental preschool is how teachers interact with children. We get down on their level to talk to them. We avoid interrupting their play unless they are doing something potentially problematic. We encourage them to be active participants in their environment. We respect possession and ownership. We respect a child’s use of materials and we do not arbitrarily end their turn with an item. We encourage children to find their own solutions to problems and are there to provide options and oversight.

            The final component of a developmental preschool is the curriculum. It may appear that we are randomly moving through a series of art projects, books, and songs but that isn’t the case. A great deal of thought goes in to providing a variety of activities to meet children at their developmental level, to use children’s interests to drive learning, and to provide challenges and opportunities to grow. We don’t just offer finger-painting and gluing. We offer art projects that encompass a variety of materials and techniques. We don’t just sing songs at circle time. We sing songs that relate to the books we read, the activities we do, or the world around us. We sing songs that use a variety of rhythm schemes and some that incorporate sign language or body movement. We don’t just play a game at circle. We do a science experiment or a math project that we chart out. We learn about patterns, quantity, cause and effect, and problem solving. We don’t just eat snack. We eat a variety of all natural foods. We talk about nutrition and balance. We show the children how to wash produce or how to mix ingredients for salad dressing. We expose the children to new flavors to expand their palette.

            So what IS your child learning at preschool? Your child is learning that he is valued and respected. Your child is learning how to help her friends. Your child is learning how to share, how to navigate social cues, how to be an active participant in a community. And somewhere in there, your child is learning the academic skills necessary for kindergarten.

Committment to the Environment

Nature and Nurture is committed to protecting the environment and encouraging children to do the same. Here are just a few of the "green" things we do:

• Serve all natural snacks that often use local and/or organic produce
• Use reusable snack dishes instead of paper products
• Use environmentally friendly cleaning products (such as vinegar and baking soda)
• Use cleaning cloths instead of paper towels to wipe down tables and surfaces
• Use repurposed materials for toys, learning materials, art projects, etc
• Use 100% recycled paper for paper work, flyers, brochures, business cards, etc

My Philosophy

I won’t give you the moon but I’ll help you build your spaceship.

            This is my child development philosophy in a nutshell. Being a perfectionist, I debated endlessly over the wording. Won’t or can’t? Will not or cannot? Can’t implies that if I could give my child the moon, I would do so. That just isn’t accurate. Won’t is a word, or contraction, that you don’t hear very often. It sounds abrasive, rude even. I won’t give you the moon, even if I could. While it almost sounds petty to say that, there is a deeper meaning. Even if I could give her the moon, I wouldn’t. What good would it be to her? Would she appreciate it? Probably not. But if she strives and struggles and reaches for the moon, and I support and encourage her along the way, what then? She’ll feel successful, confident, and proud. She will have truly accomplished something. That’s what I want for my child and the children I work with.

            So what does it mean? How does that apply to my school? People familiar with child development may recognize my attitude as similar to Vygotsky’s concept of scaffolding. Vygotsky felt that children could attain quite a bit, if we would just give them the help they needed and no more. Why no more? Too much help can backfire. Some children get the message that they are incompetent or that mommy or daddy can accomplish something better, faster, easier so why bother? When put that way, it almost sounds as though we would do best to sit back and do nothing. Let our children struggle for themselves. But that also sends the wrong message. It says, “I don’t care about your effort, only results.” It leaves children feeling alone and unsupported. It’s tough to find the right balance. To give children just enough help that they feel both challenged and successful, supported and yet independent.

            I want children to dream big and to feel loved. Whatever my child decides to do with her life, I will be right there with her, offering support, encouragement, and guidance. If that means I need to brush up on my astrophysics and start building a spaceship with her, I will.

            For my preschoolers, it means I will strive to provide an environment that is engaging and challenging. I will use their interests to drive the lesson plans and activities. I will ask for their input and their ideas. I will foster their love of learning.

Illness Policy

If your child is contagious or unable to participate in the classroom and yard activities, we ask that you keep your child home.

Signs of being contagious:
green or yellow nasal congestion
fever
vomitting
diarrhea

Your child needs to remain at home until symptom free without medicine(s) for 24+ hours.

If your child is on an antibiotic, he/she must be on it for 24+ hours before returning to class.

FAQs

What are your ratios?

1:6 with a max of 12 children enrolled. Please see our teacher bios on the right hand side of the page for more information about our teachers’ qualifications.

What should my child wear to school?

Anything that is weather appropriate, comfortable, and OK to get messy in will be fine. We recommend closed toed shoes that your child can take on and off.

What should my child bring to school?

Your child does not need to bring anything to school except a jacket on cold days and a water bottle for the yard on hot days. We will provide a healthy and nutritious snack. We even have extra clothes in case of accidents. If your child wants to bring a small lovey to school, this is fine. The lovey can remain with your child or we can place it in a safe spot if/when your child is done with it. We cannot guarantee that a lovey will remain clean at school. If this is a problem, please do not send one.

What about food allergies?

In the case of food allergies, we would like to post a small photo of your child with any allergies listed on the photo in our snack prep area. This is to ensure that no one mistakenly gives your child the wrong food. We can provide alternative snacks for most food allergies and will be happy to work with you on this matter. Our snacks contain no peanuts or peanut products.

What holidays does Nature and Nurture celebrate?

Because we are an inclusive and secular program, we do not specifically celebrate any holidays. We will celebrate the seasons, the environment, and each individual child. Children and families are welcome to share their traditions with the class. We invite you to bring items from home or tell stories that are meaningful to your family. Please speak to a teacher if you would like time on our class schedule to share family traditions with the class.

In the interests of diversity and inclusiveness, we will not celebrate any religious holiday, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. We will give the children an opportunity to make one gift item every month to be sent home and given to the friend or relative the child chooses.

What about birthdays?

If you would like the class to celebrate your child’s birthday or a special day in your child’s life (for example, if your family prefers to celebrate a milestone or an anniversary as opposed to a birthday) please let the teachers know. We supply the (all natural, made from scratch) cupcakes!

We invite you to make a small contribution to the class such as a book or puzzle. This is completely optional. Teachers will keep a running list of needed items if you would like suggestions. Your child will get to present the item to the class at circle time and will get to be first to use the item in the classroom.

How can I be involved in the classroom?

We welcome family involvement in the classroom. Family members are invited to share traditions, help with special projects, or chaperone field trips. We also need two or three family members who may be available to volunteer in the classroom as a substitute teacher on occasion. If you are interested in substitute teaching, please let the teachers know. You will need to fill out a PVRPD Volunteer Application and be fingerprinted.

We hold seasonal parties 4 times a year. Families are encouraged to attend.

Do you do parent teacher conferences?

Yes, we will hold parent teacher conferences in May to discuss your child’s development throughout the year. We will also hold parent teacher conferences as needed. Just ask!

Do you track how children are learning/progressing?

Yes, we do. We keep detailed developmental portfolios. Every month, we look at what each child is doing in several domains: cognitive, language and communication, social skills, self help, gross motor, fine motor and creative development. In addition, the portfolios often include photos and samples of art and writing.

Twice a year we fill out a developmental assessment called the Desired Results Developmental Portfolio. The DRDP looks at 43 skills that preschoolers are developing.

Our portfolios and assessments allow us to track your child’s development, look for patterns, guide our lesson plans, and give children extra support as needed.

What does your program cost?

The short answer is that we charge approximately $60/week. The longer, more accurate answer is that PVRPD charges class fees based on how many class days there are in a month. So a month with 8 class days will cost less than a month with 12 class days. PVRPD also adds a $3 administration fee to every class they operate. Tuition is paid to PVRPD by check or by credit card.

We charge a $25/month materials fee, paid by check or cash directly to the teachers, that covers our snacks, consumable art supplies, field trips, and special projects. PVRPD does not collect this money, nor do they take a cut of it, which is why this money is separate. If it was collected along with tuition, we would have to charge roughly $40 to get the equivalent $25. We regret this inconvenience but it is a cost cutting measure.

Including the materials fee, our program for the 2012/2013 school year cost a total of $2804. If you divide that by 12 months, it was an average cost of $234/month. This is one of the lowest cost programs in Camarillo yet we are adamant about providing the highest quality of care with low ratios, highly educated teachers, healthy snacks, etc.

Furthermore, we promise not to nickel and dime you. We do not charge a yearly registration fee or an activities fee. We do not charge extra for field trips or class gifts. We do not ask families to provide supplies or go to fundraisers. We do not ask you or your children to sell anything.

Collaborating with PVRPD allows us to share their site and keep our overhead costs low. We are very fortunate to be working with them.

What IS a "Preschool Age Class" ?

Preschool Age Class simply means that we are a class offered through PVRPD rather than a free-standing preschool. Free-standing preschools and child care facilities are licensed in California under the regulations of Title 22. These regulations ensure things like the qualifications of staff, the ratios of teachers to children, the safety of the site, etc. Programs offered by existing parks and recreation districts that meet for 12 hours a week or less are considered license-exempt. This does not mean that we relax our high standards though. For example, Title 22 licensing requires 1 teacher per 12 children, we have 2. Title 22 requires that teachers have at least 12 college units of education. Michelle has a bachelor's degree; Kristin has both a bachelor's and a master's degree. PVRPD maintains the safety of the site. Both Nature and Nurture and PVRPD are committed to offering an exceptional experience for young children.

I’m interested in enrolling my child in your program. What do I do now?

We recommend all families come in for a tour before their child starts attending. Please email Kristin at naturennurture@ymail.com to set up a tour. This gives your child a chance to see the classroom and meet the teachers. It gives you a chance to ask any questions you may have.

We will add you to our roster if there are openings or to our wait list if we do not have openings. Once you are on the roster, PVRPD will be informed and you may register by calling them at 482-1996 or going in to the park office at 1605 E Burnley St