OUR SCHOOL
Emerald Child Development Center (ECDC) is located inside the University Fellowship Church and is open to all families. Our staff consists of dedicated teachers who are experienced and educated and understand the needs and developmental stages of young children. Our teachers are in direct communication with families, partnering with them to help each child reach his/her full potential.
We believe the basis to a good classroom environment is teachers who genuinely love children and are concerned for their well being. The teachers at ECDC provide engaging and stimulating activities and establish an atmosphere of respect and care for one another. Teachers assist children in becoming responsible choice makers by allowing them to experience natural, logical, and appropriate consequences for their behaviors.
Our Purpose is to provide an affordable quality program for families in our community. We offer play and learning experiences that contribute to the physical, social, mental, and spiritual growth of each child.
PHILOSOPHY
Emerald Child Development Center believes that children are a gift of the Lord (Psalm 127:3). In light of this fact, we have a two-fold purpose. Our first concern is to be guided by the principle that each person is a unique creation of God. Therefore, each child has contributions to be made, creativity to be encouraged, responsibilities to be taught, and intellectual potential to be developed. Although we do not use a Bible-based curriculum, our curriculum’s are grounded in and guided by the truth of God’s Word.
Our second concern is to provide quality care and a learning environment that enables children to build self-esteem through positive experiences. The school maintains a balance of activities—active and quiet, group and individual—that promote the development of physical, social, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual skills.
Our educational philosophy is based on children’s progression through different stages. Each stage is suited to a certain level of learning. We model appropriate behavior, give positive directions, offer choices when possible, and maintain consistency. Our school’s discipline policies are organized around encouragement and praise for acceptable behavior and redirection to more successful choices, rather than punishment for unacceptable behavior.
“ECDC was the best choice I could have made for my two kids. Ms. Caryl and Ms. Dianah are not only excellent teachers but they truly see and listen to each individual child and their needs… Open communication, great kids, great parents, outstanding teachers and staff. ECDC is a community that you will be truly sad to leave when it’s time to graduate to ‘big kid school’.”
-Parent