Description: At the Early Learning Community, also known as the ELC, young children encounter a richly stimulating learning environment and nurturing, creative teachers who guide them in their exploration of the world. The ELC offers active, authentic learning experiences, as well as engaging materials and beautiful spaces. Our school culture values the contribution of each individual child to the community while cultivating a sense of social awareness and belonging for all.
Housed in Berglund Hall at Pacific University, the school serves as an exemplary early childhood teaching and learning environment essential to the teacher preparation programs in the College of Education. Here, children are immersed in a broad and diverse community of learners — students, faculty, families and the surrounding community — who share the goal of supporting all aspects of children's development.
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My child has attended this school for almost 3 years. Sadly we have not had a very positive 3rd year and have felt unable to leave due to the financial contract. Teachers do the best they can within the constraints of the school's philosophy. The affects we are experiencing now may have started back from the beginning when my child wasn't supported in a more positive way.
Be very aware of their philosophy and ask a ton of questions when touring the school. They do not believe in a positive behavior system. This could have easily guided my child in their choices, however because it is not their philosophy they did not work with us, the parents. In my experience teachers and administration also tend to limit their communication with you on issues that arise at school because they believe in dealing with it on their own and in their own way.
Unless your child fits the typical "mold" you may hear judgements leading you to feel that your child is difficult when really their behavior is just typical of a preschooler, kinder, or first grader. I believe the atmosphere is one factor that cultivated the unwanted behaviors of our child. So sad that we didn't see it sooner. My child is advanced in all areas academically but did not get the positive social emotional support needed. They just talked and talked, and talked. My child responds better to rewards and more love and logic. This did not fit within the school philosophy.
It was very expensive and we are sad to be ending the year on a negative note. I wish I would have been warned. The shinny beautiful classrooms and low teacher ratio put blinders on what we really should have been asking 3 years ago.