Our Philosophy
What Makes Little Mud Puddles Special
Our philosophy is to teach our children through a fun, yet educational process so they will be ready to meet the challenges of the adult world. We encourage them to use their senses, feelings and intellects to their full potential by presenting challenging activities that cultivate their curiosity and awareness. We prepare our children for the future while allowing them to enjoy their childhood.
We feel the early years of a child’s life are the most important because it is the time in which the characteristics of their personalities and self-image develop. To help the children completely grow and mature into individuals with high self-esteem and self-confidence, we must show them that their thoughts and emotions are significant to us. One way in which we accomplish this goal is by having small groups of children identify with a homeroom teacher. These special teachers show love and care for the children through praise and recognition so the children feel secure. It is very important that during the learning and development process that a child feels secure about themselves and his/her surroundings. A homeroom teacher who can identify with the children is able to adapt the educational process to fit each child’s needs. This special and supportive atmosphere provides a sense of self-esteem and a feeling of competence for the children.
Play is a very important part of learning. We create special activities that develop physical and mental coordination and growth. Play is not as simple as it sounds. Our program of play develops the ability to invent, imagine, organize, test and discover. It is the best way to learn important cognitive skills and concepts. It is also a way in which the children learn to share, cooperate and empathize with others. Our children learn to create and sustain relationships, which is also imperative in order to be socially fit. We create an atmosphere where learning is fun and educational which gives the children a positive outlook on future learning. We emphasize academics through letter, shape, color and number recognition to encourage early reading skills. Love and caring for others is also emphasized.
With these elements the children learn to become self-confident, self-reliant and competent adults.
Our Partnership with Families
One of our main goals is to involve parents in our programs and we offer various ways to stay connected.. We are not only here to take care of your children but to also provide them with the best learning environment possible and your involvement can help us to achieve this goal.
Being informed and having first hand experience in what your child is participating in is very important and rewarding. We emphasize communication with your child and the staff at the Little Mud Puddles Learning Center and believe that open communication enhances the quality of our program. We have three parent/teacher conferences each year. This is a time that the teacher and the parents can discuss your child’s progress. The parent/teacher conferences give families an opportunity to ask questions and get to know how their child is doing in our program. It also builds a trusting relationship between our families and our staff so they work together for the best interests of our children. That is why it is so important to read our e-mails, monthly Newsletters and parent handbook so you are aware of special events and when the school is closed. Our major interests are the children and parents we serve and we believe that early intervention is the key to a successful learning experience for our children who will be prepared for Kindergarten and future learning.
Field Trips and Special Events
We offer field trips including Discovery Museum and the Pumpkin Patch. During off-site field trips we are required to have parent participation to ensure the safety of the child. Special events include a Summer and Halloween Carnival where parent involvement is encouraged, class parties during the holidays, graduation ceremonies and fundraisers that benefit the school directly. We are also proud to host an annual St. Jude trike-a-thon that directly supports the St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
If you should have any questions we will look forward to hearing from you.
Additional Information
-
Nutrition: We provide supplemental breakfast, lunch and two snacks. Vegetarian meals are optional.
-
Cultural Diversity: English is the primary language spoken but we can provide translation in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and some sign language.
-
Secured Webcam Access: Access is available to enrolled families.
