Dr. and Mrs. Sams with their youngest granddaughter.

PROFESSIONALISM Children's Academy, began as a result of our family's wanting to provide a first-rate, comprehensive child-care program so desperately needed by a spiraling number of working parents.  Children's Academy combines a safe, nurturing, developmentally sound environment with a solid growth curriculum.  This is accomplished by professional administration of planned weekly lesson plans which include creative art, math concepts, language skills, manipulatives (for hand and eye coordination), music, science, dramatics, nutrition, health,  and physical education.  we provide the ultimate in outdoor and indoor play equipment and audio visual aids.

STAFF In order to offer the community top quality child care, it is our priority to surround children with staff of integrity and imagination who are trained to recognize each stage of children's development and to plan programs accordingly.  It is equally important, we believe, to have staff people who have a genuine concern for, and sensitivity toward, each child.  Our experienced teaching teams are aware that children need openness and freedom; however, they also need the safety of limits and guidelines which are firm, but flexible enough to allow for trial and error.  In order for the individual child to learn, the staff allows him or her to progress without pressure within a secure environment where the child can observe, ask questions, experiment, play, make mistakes and discover.

DISCIPLINE Expressing one's own hopes, fears, happiness, frustration, and needs, without embarrassment or fear is vital to each child's maturity and sound mental health.  Thus, our program is designed to reinforce the positive characteristics of the child's self-worth and self-confidence.  The use of corporal punishment is not allowed under any circumstance.

PARENTS The parent is the first teacher in our program.  The role of Children's Academy is to provide support and understanding to the efforts made in the home.  Two main areas of participation are available for parents to express their concerns- the PArent Advisory Board and regularly scheduled Parent Conferences.  Communication between staff and parents is encouraged through our open-door policy which allows the parent's presence in the classrooms and play yards.

GOALS OF CHILDREN'S ACADEMY

• To help children be at ease about being away from home, to learn to work and play independently, and to be able to accept guidance from adults.
• To develop self-help abilities and habits of safety, good nutrition, and cleanliness.
• To encourage creativity and self-expression.
• To develop curiosity- the urge to explore and to seek answers.
• To encourage children's desire to learn, to enhance their ability to think and to reason, and to expand their mental processes.
• To involve children in varied experiences which will increase their knowledge and understanding of their world.
• To develop language skills for both speaking and listening.
• To develop self-identity and a view of themselves as having competence and worth through warmth, recognition, and the providing of success experiences.
• To develop self-discipline and to grow in ability to channel destructive impulses, i.e. to talk instead of hit, and to feel sympathy for the troubles of others.
• To learn to live effectively with other children,  to work and play cooperatively, and to value one's own rights as well as the rights of others.
• To assist parents in positive ways during their children's formative years.