Early Learning Center

The ELC program supports young children in all aspects of their learning. Our curriculum is guided by the framework of the IB Primary Years Program (PYP) and influenced by the philosophy of Reggio Emilia. The PYP framework supports a play-based curriculum for early learning, creating an environment for children to develop social, communication, research, thinking, physical and self-management skills.

Through play, children develop attitudes of the IB Learner Profile by collaborating, making judgements, learning how to learn and developing independence and autonomy with the support of teachers. Early Childhood is an important time when children are developing their view of themselves as learners, their sense of autonomy and identity and developing confidence in making decisions. Play is the vehicle by which the children develop skills of initiating, negotiating, working as group members by working through group projects, exploring through imagination, asking questions and reflecting.

Inquiry in the ELC is connected to the children’s development of their understanding of the world by exploring, discovering, questioning and interacting with the physical and social world. Play is essential for young children’s cognitive, social, emotional, physical and brain development. Through play, children construct meaning and define themselves as members of a learning community.

Through listening and observing the children closely, and documenting the process of their thinking and understanding, teachers work and learn collaboratively through discussion, reflection, and interpretation of the documentation, putting forward their own theories of how children respond to challenges and provocations. The philosophy of both the PYP and the Reggio Emilia Approach encourages children to wonder and to ask questions, and we strive to create an environment to support this way of thinking.

Subject focus is viewed through the lens of a transdisciplinary program. Subjects such as language, mathematics, science, social studies, art etc. are woven into the transdisciplinary themes within the Program of Inquiry.

Scroll over and click the subject tiles below to read the descriptions.

In our approach we place particular value on:

The image of the child - The child is rich with potential.

Time/Flow - Unhurried time for the children to experience their hours at school.

Space - Space for the children to leave unfinished work to be continued the next day; space which inspires the children to learn; space that fosters natural light, harmonious colors; space for comfortable, child-sized areas and aesthetics.

Climate - A classroom atmosphere reflecting adult encouragement, respect and acceptance of mistakes, risk-taking, along with certain amounts of mess, noise, and freedom.

Possibilities - For adventures, curiosity, exploration, joy.

Technology - Use of technology for creativity, exploration, creating, imagination.

Natural Resources - Provide the children with recycled goods and natural resources from the environment, whenever possible.

Our approach also takes into account the following principles:

• Children learn at different rates.
• Learning is a balance between the intellectual, the social, and the personal; each is important and each is interlinked with others.
• Children must be given the opportunity to speak and be listened to in all the many languages – art, music, physical activity, dramatic play are woven into the daily experiences of learning with and through others.

School Day

Half-day program: 8:45 am - 12:00 noon Monday - Friday*

Full-day program: 8:45 am - 2:45 pm Monday - Friday

Children may be dropped off at the ELC from 8:20 am.

*Half-day students do not stay for lunch.

 

Snack time is held in the morning. The children bring two or three pieces of fruit from home each week and this is shared with the class each day.

Lunch is from 12 noon for those children remaining full-day. Parents have the option of ordering lunch from the school cafeteria, Dragon Dining, or bringing lunch from home.

Our dedicated Early Learning Center, complete with a self-contained playing area, is an expansive space meant to foster the curiosity and growing independence of our youngest learners. The ELC occupies just under half of the floor space of the first floor of the South Building. The comforting warmth of wood flooring, wide floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and the deliberate exclusion of interior walls allows learning to flow across the entire space, and permits teachers to adapt the space to accommodate for the explorative nature of young learners.

Adjacent to The Street and the sports field, students have easy access to outdoor play areas in addition to the dedicated covered play area of the Center itself through large sliding doors designed to allow plenty of light into main play area. Toilets designed specifically for ELC learners are integrated into the Center as is the office for the ELC staff. Shelving, storage units and the central tiered flooring reflect the wood theme design of the school. See Our Campus Facilities for descriptions of our learning spaces.

We consider parents as partners in the education the ELC children. Parent participation is therefore considered essential and takes many forms. The sharing, exchange of ideas and skills that parents bring to the ELC is important in fostering the connections between home and school. Connections to home and family are integral to learning in the early years. We use these powerful connections to authentically involve families and build on the links between home and school.

Communication between parents and teachers occurs in both informal and formal ways, such as in our daily greetings at arrival and dismissal times, through class emails and the school website. Parents are able to meet with teachers throughout the year to discuss their child. The following are ways of communication which are embedded into the calendar:

• Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled once year
• Student-Led Conferences are scheduled once during the school year
• A learning journal is compiled for each child to show processes of learning as both individual learners and group learners
• Action Portfolios are held once a year for parents to view learning in PE and music
• Written reports are sent out two times per year

 

The Early Learning Center is a mixed-age program comprised of children who have turned three years of age by September 1st in the year of entry and 4-year-old children who have turned four by September 1st in the year of entry. The 3-year-olds enroll initially for a half-day program, which can be extended to a full-day program after the October break with the teacher’s recommendation and on parents' request. The 4-year-old children generally come for the full-day program, depending on parental choice.

Prior to entry parents and children are invited to spend some time at the center. Children must be able to use the toilet independently prior to admission. Please see our admissions policies and procedures section of the website for further details about admissions.