St.

Johns Christian Nursery School

Program Statement
We will let them be little, fill their hearts with laughter; help them to grow wings, nurture their
sense of wonder; inspire them to believe, and love them like they are our own.
Welcome
Welcome to St. Johns Christian Nursery School. We are happy that you and your family will be a
part of our school community. We are located on the 2nd floor of St. Johns Lutheran Church. We
offer morning and afternoon programs for children aged 18 months to 5 years, and also a new 6hour program. These programs provide children with the opportunity to play and learn in a
challenging environment designed with their needs in mind. We provide positive learning
engagement, and our foundation is love and concern for all the children in our care. We are
honoured to help your child reach his or her developmental potential by focusing on the following
foundations of learning.
Sense of belonging
At St. Johns Christian Nursery School, we provide a warm, caring, and nurturing
environment that is an extension of your childs home. It is important to us that we nurture
the relationship between caregiver and child; as such, we begin the day by greeting each
child so that they can feel secure in the first transition of the day, this is also a time to connect
and share information with parents as we solidify our partnerships.
At the beginning of each year, we plan an open house for families; this provides an
opportunity for families to get oriented to the program, get acquainted with the staff, and
get answers to questions. For each prospective family, we also provide a social story. This
provides an excellent opportunity for the child to become familiar with faces and
surroundings before that all-important first day. Once the child is in our care, parents and
RECEs connect on matters relating to childs day, or other ways that ensure that they receive
the maximum benefit in their time with us. We also encourage a sense of normalcy and
routines with adult interactions; this gives them the security to strengthen their cognitive,
social and communication skills.
Another important part of our program is the learning portfolios that are maintained for
each child in our care. This portfolio is constantly being updated with milestones,
explorations and activities that are important to the children. These are always available and
accessible to children and parents, as we understand how important it is for children see
themselves represented in their present environment.
For us, it is important that we form a solid and deep connection with families so that
transitions to and from the home flow as seamlessly as possible. We value our strong
community, and work to build it every day with our continued respect and support of our
families.

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Expression
Discovering and recognizing all the ways that children share their ideas and feelings is
important. We strive to validate all their ideas and encourage them to find their own
methods of discovery and learning. All children are capable of expression and have a desire
to communicate, and we encourage their efforts in every way.
For the youngest children in our care, we encourage signing so that they can begin to
process language and participate in their environment. For the older children, we show
respect for their competency by encouraging shared dialogue, and supporting them in their
choices as they interact with peers and educators. This strengthens their emerging language
skills, their sense of independence, and their confidence.
In addition, we solidify relationships with each child so that we are attuned with their
needs and can make suggestions when necessary. We believe that children are capable and
competent, and can guide their own learning; as such we scaffold their skills as they safely
test limits and challenge their own abilities.
We value listening as a means of communication, and focus on each childs unique
personality so that we can provide various outlets for them to express their sense of wonder
and creativity. For our preschool children, an important part of their day is their meeting
time. This is significant in a variety of ways: it gives them an opportunity to engage in
conversations with peers, sharing ideas without judgement, listening attentively, building
confidence, respect for others, and taking turns. On occasion, we may even invite parents
and family members to share their interests with the children, this gives them an opportunity
to feel a sense of ownership in the program.
Engagement
An important part of our philosophy here at St. Johns is the strong connection that we
foster and maintain with all our children and families. We see ourselves as an extension of
the home, and we work, every day, to ensure that these bonds continue to grow. Their
interests are our main priority; as such, classroom materials will always reflect what the
children are focused on, and enjoying at any given time.
Throughout the day, educators work as co-investigators to provide numerous
opportunities for provocations that spark their interests; open-ended materials that
encourage critical thinking and exploration, and engages their excitement and enjoyment as
they learn through play.
Additionally, we always maintain an ongoing rapport with families, and this is done in a
variety of ways. Our monthly newsletter is our main information-sharing avenue; this is
where we can build on our daily conversations and pass along information. We also have biannual parent/teacher meetings and yearly satisfaction surveys where we engage families
and encourage their feedback on our work. At drop-off and pick-up times we invite parents
into their childs classroom so that they can share in activities and observe their children at
play.

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Along with the children being the main focus of our attention, it is also vitally important
that we encourage families to engage with us. We support a diverse community and often
go above and beyond, through various efforts to offer assistance; for example, organizing
food and clothing drives for families in need. For new members of the community, we also
offer information on resources and events that may help with a smooth transition.
We encourage parents to join our Board of Directors where they can participate in the
operations of the school; there are opportunities to make decisions, as well as serve on
various committees. Another major part of our focus is engaging community partners who
can assist us in providing the optimal care, and ensuring that children are being supported
in reaching their full potential. As such, we are supported by a Resource Consultant from
Early Learning, Child Care and Family Resources with KW Habilitation. During the registration
process, parents can offer consent for observations of their child, as well as informationsharing between our Consultant and RECEs. Some of the agencies we work with are
KidsAbility, KidsLink, KW Hab, and Special Needs Access Point (SNAP).
Well-being
As a sense of independence and self-worth is vitally important to each of the children in
our care, our main goals is to ensure that children are developing at their own pace and
achieving mastery. We view and respect each child as a unique individual, and understand
that their needs are also unique. With that in mind, we provide a safe and comfortable space
where children can experience love and security, and where all their needs are being met.
On entry into the program each day, a health and wellness check is performed for each
child, this ensures that they are well enough to be a part of the activities of the day. We assist
the children as they gain confidence in their self-care routines, such as dressing, toileting,
and feeding themselves. Supporting their nutritional needs is also important to us, and we
encourage open snack times that give children the option of choosing when they will come
to the snack table. This is essential, as it encourages children to be responsive to their own
hunger cues. In addition, we ensure that drinking water is always available and provided
when needed. These practices foster positive relationships with food, and healthy eating
habits.
Here at St. Johns we schedule times for both indoor and outdoor play and exploration,
children are given opportunities to improve their gross and fine motor skills, as well as
engage their senses in the world around them. We understand that there is a wide variety
of learning styles, therefore, at all times, we do our best to support each child as they gain
knowledge. For those children who are progressing at a different pace, our staff (in
partnership with parents), are attuned to developmental milestones and can make
suggestions and recommendation to outside agencies for added support when required.

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Staff
At St. Johns, we believe that a quality program starts with a quality staff. All of our
teachers are registered members of the College of Early Childhood Educators, and adhere to the
Code of Ethics, and Standards of Practice set out by the College. Overall, they have between 10
to 25 years childcare experience. This shows their strong devotion to the profession they have
chosen and the work that they do; this is also evidence of their dedication, and the love that they
have for the children in their care.
We pride ourselves on maintaining a calm and respectful environment; and this can be
seen, every day, in all of our classrooms. Each child is valued for his or her own unique abilities,
and the RECEs rapport and patience is geared to each individual child. Upon hire, each RECE is
required to do a health, and criminal reference check. For the safety of all involved, staff are also
required to be up to date with their Standard First Aid and CPR training.
At St. Johns, continuous learning is a part of our guiding philosophy; and in that respect
our staff will take every opportunity to participate in various forms of professional development,
as well as foster their commitment to an ongoing reflective practice. In addition, staff are usually
commended by the Raising the Bar initiative for excellence in their profession. These factors all
contribute to our philosophy of providing the best care and remaining consistent in the process.
As the field of Early Childhood continue to grow and expand, it is important to us that we match
that growth and keep abreast of new research in the field.
While we understand the qualities of excellent childcare, we also must also recognize that
we need to nurture those same qualities in our own relationships. The values that we apply to
our relationships with children and families are the very ones that we work to maintain among
ourselves. We understand that in order for the children to get the best that we have to offer, we
must take steps to maintain our professionalism. For us, it is vital that RECEs have ample time to
prepare and complete administrative duties that does not conflict with their classroom time. Also
important is that we foster our own community-building by maintaining social connections, and
being thoughtful and caring towards each other.
Often, we have parent and student volunteer into our programs; this is a significant part
of our community involvement strategy, and one that enriches us in many ways. Our student
volunteers come to us through our long-standing partnership with Conestoga College and their
Early Childhood Education programs. At all times, these visitors are supervised and mentored by
our RECEs, and as such volunteers and student do not have unsupervised access to the children
in our care, and are also not counted as part of our ratios.
Pedagogy
St. Johns is a non-profit organization that is licensed and inspected by the Ministry of Education,
and our philosophy follows How Does Learning Happen, the Ministrys resource for
understanding childrens learning and development. As part of our practice, we continually
observe what the children are interested in, and plan activities in response to their interest and

St. Johns Christian Nursery School

curiosity. Documentation is also a valuable part of our ongoing engagement. We ensure that
milestones in each childs learning and development are preserved to share with family and
friends. Children are valued as competent learners; capable of making decisions, following their
own interests, and guiding their own learning. Teachers are reflective in their practice and
observations, and ensure that children are supported as they explore their environment through
play.
Contact
Thank you for your continued support of school and our efforts to make the St. Johns community
such a cohesive one. For any other information you may need, or questions that you may have,
please take at a look at our school handbook. We continue to offer the best care and support to
families in partnership with all levels of government, and other agencies.
Please contact us, we would love to hear from you.
Phone: 519-746-4202
Email: stjohn2@bellnet.ca
Website: www.stjohnsnurseryschool.ca
Facebook: stjohnschristiannurseryschool
Address:
St. Johns Christian Nursery School
22 Willow Street
Waterloo, ON
N2J 1V5