Group Size and Child / Staff Ratio

Child / Staff ratio:

• 1 to 5 for toddlers

• 1 to 10 for preschoolers / kindergarten

• 1 to 15 for 6 years and up

St. Philip Location

The children are divided into three groups comprised of:

• Hucklebugs - 18 months to 3.5 years (toddler, younger preschool)

• Ladybugs - 3.5 years to 6 years (preschool and kinder)

• School-Age - 6 years to 12 years

St. Bernard Location

The children are divided into three groups comprised of:

• Glow Worms – 18 months to 3.5 years (toddler, younger preschool)

• Inch Worms – 3.5 years to 5 years (preschool and kinder)

• Kindercare - 5-6 years while in Kindergarten

• School-Age – 6 to 12 years

Brevoort Park Location

The children are divided into five groups comprised of:

• Firefly Room – 18 months to 30 months (toddlers)

• Butterfly Room – 30 months to 3.5 years (preschool)

• Dragonfly Room – 3.5 years to 5 years (preschool)

• Kinderfly Room – 4 – 6 years (preschool/kinders)

• School-Age – 6 to 12 years

Program Components

Research shows that children learn best through play and that play helps children learn the skills they need to do well in school, build relationships and understand others. Our centres follow the Play and Exploration: Early Learning Program Guide developed by the Department of Early Learning and Child Care. It emphasizes that the educator’s belief about children is a foundational and critical component of a high quality learning program. When educators view children as competent and capable, the learning program becomes a place of wonder, excitement and joy for both the child and the educator. More information is available at http://www.education.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=ed3dbc16-14d7-4553-87c7-1728a0907416

A variety of activities are incorporated and the themes are drawn from the children’s interests. Some of these activities may include: sensory, gross motor, crafts, music, dramatic play, puzzles, games, fine motor, cooking, science, explorative play, circle time, story time, creative movement, cooking/food, resource people and field trips.

Staff planning is also based on the developmental needs of the children. To facilitate this, a developmental checklist is utilized. The checklist includes the following areas: social / emotional, intellectual / cognitive, gross motor, fine motor, receptive language, expressive language and self help skills.

Documentation in a variety of forms are used. These may include: displays of photos and written descriptions of children’s learning experiences, picture collages and “white board” messages.