Good Shepherd Catholic School - Summer Street

Young children thrive in educational settings that are child-centered and provide a stimulating learning environment with warm, nurturing and well-trained teachers. Children grow and develop to their fullest capacity if given many opportunities to explore, create and problem-solve. Children learn best when they are engaged in active learning experiences that are appropriate to their developmental level, hands-on, relevant to their daily lives, and come directly from their backgrounds, interests, and talents. They develop emotionally and socially when provided with many opportunities to have quality adult and child interactions in both small and large group settings. All experiences planned for children focus on their needs and interests and incorporate educational objectives in a meaningful way. Children are encouraged to initiate many of their own activities, learn to solve problems independently, and to make many choices on a daily basis. Being encouraged and empowered to make choices such as who to play with, what materials to use, and what experiences they might engage in, helps them to feel a central part of the teaching and learning process. This promotes a stronger sense of self, and a higher level of intrinsic motivation. Cooperation and compromise becomes a component of social learning as the children experience and learn ways to interact in a group setting. Good Shepherd teachers are able to gear activities and interactions for individual children within the group setting. Activities and lessons are open-ended and child-centered, making it possible for all children to participate at their own level and in their own way. The environment, schedule, activities, and adult-child interactions are designed to foster children¿s development in the following areas: Physical: Learning how one¿s body works in relationship to self, to space, and in relationship with objects and people. This includes large motor skills and experiences such as running, climbing, hopping, and moving to music and small motor skills and experiences such as placing puzzle pieces, grasping, cutting, stringing beads. Social/Emotional: Learning to separate from the family, developing independence, managing emotions, interacting with peers and adults, solving social conflicts such as sharing, learning to play cooperatively. Cognitive: Learning to problem-solve, make decisions, and conceptually understand and organize things, ideas and relationships in the environment. Language: Communicating with peers and adults, naming and describing objects and events in the environment, and expressing feelings and ideas.

Additional Information: Initial License Date: 08/30/2020; Area Description: Fenced Yard, Smoke Free; 1 Star Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program - Licensed Provider;