Archive for November, 2016

By Mawara • November 22nd, 2016

Chess at 3 is the authority in early childhood chess. We understand the profound benefits of chess and the effectiveness of learning through storytelling. Their mission is to extend the benefits of chess through the power of storytelling and create an unforgettable and interactive learning environment which teaches 100% of our children, as young as the age of three, to play and fall in love with chess.

The Chess At Three approach teaches much more than the rudimentary rules of chess. Chess At Three students also learn: The Importance of Sportsmanship, Literacy, Chess History, and Math, just to name a few. Lessons include interactive moments, physical movements (chessercizes), and guidelines for game play at each level of development.

By Mawara • November 18th, 2016

The Goddard School in Verona is dedicated to advancing excellence in education and raising children’s performance.  We strive to provide a safe, secure, and nurturing environment that encourages a lifelong love of learning.   We are a lot more than just a day care, at Goddard we recognize that each child is unique with their own learning style.  The F.L.E.X. Curriculum allows us to provide individualized instruction for your child  to facilitate learning through exploration, communication, and enrichment activities.  Our professional teachers provide hands-on activities, enabling students to make real-life connections that bring meaning and purpose to their learning.  It’s the happy, playful, and friendly atmosphere at Goddard that builds the confidence and compassion young children need to gain problem-solving skills so vital for the 21st Century Learner.

In the next few blog entries we will cover why The Goddard School in Verona is the best choice for your child’s academic, social and emotional growth.

PARENT SATISFACTION

The love and commitment Goddard parents have for their children and their development inspires us to continually offer the best preparation possible.  Families enroll with us because they are looking for more than a daycare.  They want a safe and playful environment that promotes love for learning and new experiences.  In addition to ample daily communication, we have many activities throughout the year for parents to be involved in their children’s preschool experience.

We received a score of 97% on an independent third-party survey of families with children currently attending our school.  You can see the testimonials from current families on our website at the link below:

http://www.goddardschool.com/madison/verona-prairie-oaks-drive-wi/testimonials

We are also happy to connect you with families in any age group who can talk to you about their experience at Goddard.

Contact us: 608-571-5980 | goddardverona.com | veronawi@goddardschools.com

By Mawara • November 13th, 2016

In addition to an excellent curriculum, highest health and safety standards, loving and caring faculty and state of the art technology and facility, we are also proud to offer the following benefits you will not see at every childcare center these day.

MEALS

As a parent myself, I understand the hassle of planning and preparing meals for my children every day.  At Goddard, we take this worry out of your busy morning routines.  Our full-time chef prepares and serves three healthy meals daily.  Your child gets a morning snack, lunch and an afternoon snack every day.  Our menu follows USDA guidelines and is made available to families well in advance for review.  The cost for meals is included in tuition.

ON-SITE MANAGEMENT

You can expect all levels of our management team available from the time we open till the center closes every day.  Our owners and Directors are always available to take your feedback directly and address your concerns in a timely manner.

CONVENIENT LOCATION

Our beautiful school is conveniently located right on Highway M less than a mile south of PD intersection.   You waste no time getting in and out of our facility for drop off and pick up.

TUITION

We are proud to offer the best early childhood learning environment imaginable at a very reasonable cost.  Our rates are the same as or lower than most of the childcare centers in our area.

Contact us: 608-571-5980 | goddardverona.com | veronawi@goddardschools.com

By Mawara • November 13th, 2016

The time your children spend on the playgrounds is an extension of their classroom learning experience. We have separate playgrounds for younger and older children.

Our playgrounds are equipped with Pour-in-place surface which is a unitary rubberized safety surface that is tested in a laboratory to perform in temperatures from freezing to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The surface is permeable, so children can quickly return to play after it rains;

Playground inspections are completed annually by a CPSI (Certified Playground Safety Inspector) who is both certified and insured;

The playgrounds are compliant with the most current CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) guidelines and the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act);

The playgrounds, including the playground structures, are enclosed by a well-maintained fence;

The faculty conducts daily and monthly inspections of the playgrounds to ensure their safety;

Playground positioning charts help faculty members position themselves effectively on the playground. The goal is to provide the best view of the children on the playground.

Contact us: 608-571-5980 | goddardverona.com | veronawi@goddardschools.com

By Mawara • November 13th, 2016

Undoubtly the most important aspect of your childcare experience is the staff  you leave your children with every day.  Our teachers blend the highest standards in early childhood development with nurturing care.

Each classroom is staffed with a Lead and an Assistant teacher.  Lead teachers hold degrees in early childhood education or related fields, and assistant teachers have education and experience.  All the teachers use effective and unique lesson plans to engage children in the learning process.

All teachers must complete an exclusive training series developed specifically for The Goddard School. Goddard Systems University provides ongoing training and coaching about health and safety standards, curriculum and classroom practices, developmental guidelines and enrichment programs so the teachers can provide excellent care to children.

We believe in taking the best care of our teachers by providing them a respectful and professional environment with ample opportunities for learning and growth.  We offer a comprehensive benefits package including support for further education.  This leads to high morale and low turnover which are key for giving your children the best preschool experience possible. You can read our faculty bios on our website below:

http://www.goddardschool.com/madison/verona-prairie-oaks-drive-wi/faculty

Contact us: 608-571-5980 | goddardverona.com | veronawi@goddardschools.com

By Mawara • November 13th, 2016

The Goddard School in Verona utilizes technology to enhance every aspect of childcare experience for your family. Below are some of the many ways you will see technology being used at our school:

Family Connect Portal: Goddard Family Connect is a web-based connection to our School. Through Goddard Family Connect, you can stay informed about your Goddard School’s events and view notifications, the School’s contact information and information about the faculty members who teach your children. You can also view your statement activity and make your payments online. Goddard Family Connect also lets you update your personal contact information, including your phone number, mailing address and email address.

Tadpoles: We share photos, videos and notes about your children throughout the day. You can get these on our mobile application or via email. You will also see the daily lesson plan and end of day activity report electronically. Additionally, you can mark your child out sick or on vacation and communicate with your child’s teachers.

Smartboard: Our preschool rooms have access to The ActivBoard Touch smartboard that teachers use for hands on learning. It provides teachers with a wide range of tools to support their daily instruction. ActivBoard Touch enables up to six students to work together simultaneously using multi-touch gestures, including swipe, pinch and zoom. The digital pen accessory can be used to write, annotate and hover in addition to performing typical touch-screen commands. The multi-touch functionality and digital pen coupled with award-winning interactive software creates an engaging learning experience for students.

Electronic check-in/check-out: We have kiosks at the main entrance where you can securely check in and out for the day.

Biometric hand scanner: Our building is locked at all times. Parents and staff can enter only by scanning their hand to unlock the main door. Computer lab: All classrooms for ages three and up have a computer center where they learn the use of computers at a very early age.

Contact us: 608-571-5980 | goddardverona.com | veronawi@goddardschools.com

By Mawara • November 13th, 2016

We pride ourselves in maintaining the highest standards for health and safety.  Below are just a few of the many components of our comprehensive health and safety system:

• Fingersafe guards, which are installed on all doors at the School to prevent the children from getting their fingers pinched by the door;
• Corner guards, which are installed on the corners of the walls also protect children in case they bump into a corner;
• Security cameras (CCTV), which are located in the foyer, on both playgrounds and on the parking lot;
• These closed-circuit cameras provide a digital recording of the area for up to six months. They are not published online due to the security issues of streaming a video of children on the internet, which could possibly be viewed by unauthorized individuals. These cameras are primarily to ensure that no unauthorized individuals are on the site;
• All gates that lead to the parking area have gate alarms on them that will sound when opened from either side;
• Each classroom from Infants through Get Set is equipped with a sanitation station. This is a wash, rinse, sanitize and air dry system that faculty members use throughout the day to ensure that the toys remain as clean as possible. The larger toys are cleaned regularly in the three-compartment sink in the kitchen;
• Our Health and Safety Information Board informs parents about health and safety practices. It includes Consumer Product Safety Commission Recalls, a health and safety calendar and other information to help you at school and at home;
• All our faculty members are trained in first aid and CPR
• Each school has a security system in place to monitor the front door area. The front doors are locked at all times and visitors gain access from the employees in the front office. Parents are required to use a biometric hand print reader upon entry;
• We have a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan in place that addresses both natural events (tornadoes) and events caused by humans (intruders, threats). This plan is reviewed regularly with all faculty members and is reviewed with newly hired faculty members as part of the onboarding and orientation process;
• Each classroom is equipped with a vision panel that lets the director easily monitor the class. These windows and the playground door windows have an unobstructed view;
• Each visitor is required to sign in on the visitor log, show ID and wear a name tag while in the School;
• Fire drills are conducted every month;
• We practice universal precautions. Faculty members use a latex glove to handle bodily fluids, such as when they change diapers changes and wipe noses.

Contact us: 608-571-5980 | goddardverona.com | veronawi@goddardschools.com