New Milford Early Learning Center and Daycare is a small, family-oriented center. We chose the Learning Without Tears and Handwriting Without Tears curriculum because it is a holistic, child-centered program that offers age-appropriate, hands-on learning experiences for our students. Our goal is to guide children through play and experiences. This curriculum was designed with children in mind; the multi-sensory and developmental instruction is simple and highly effective for all children and teachers.
The Pre-K program, Get Set for School, allows numbers and letter sounds to dance across our classroom. This curriculum makes sure all children have all the tools they need to express their thoughts, step by step, letter by letter. It helps our students find the heart of every letter and inspire a love of learning. We will observe our students to adapt our lesson plans to their needs and interests.
Art, Science and STEM activities are included in our daily activities. We want all parents to be informed and aware of the activities within the classroom as well as how parents can reinforce these goals and objectives at home. All parents have the director cell number for questions, concerns, input, or just to check to how their child is doing. Our curriculum is aligned with the New Jersey Department of Education Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards.
A unique humane education program is also built into our curriculum. The love, care and respect for all lives is taught on a daily basis. Our students are able to interact with pet therapy animals. Our furry and feathered friends include, Edna (our diapered, imprinted, tame, loving duck), Mae (our giant, docile, tame, loving rabbit), Leo and Lily (our very friendly and attention seeking white doves) and others along the way. All our animals are fully vetted on a regular basis. The students and director started a non profit animal rescue, Fred and Friends, inc in 2011. Some of our ELC families have even helped with rescue! Fred and Friends had a unique rescued duck years ago that was friendly, loving and special needs. Beakers was hatched with a birth defect and was unable to walk. This did not stop his excitement to live Under Miss Christine’s supervision, and with the direction of a rescuer from the UK to guide us via FaceTime, the students built Beakers a “duck wheel chair” so he was able to move around on his own. We all learned many important lessons from our feathered friend, Beakers.
Going along with our humane education we have also collected for a local food pantry, started a have a heart program collecting supplies/food needed for local animal shelters, and adopted soldiers deployed sending art work, stamps, stationary, treats and other supplies.
Miss Christine, grew up along the Mississippi River in Illinois. She brings country family traditions to the ELC like gardening and cooking. Early Learning Center is not the normal “cookie cutter center.” We learn real life skills that will stay with our students forever. We are a true family.
Our loving infant/toddler head teacher has been with us since 2006. Early Learning Center is not the fanciest daycare/preschool you will find, but we challenge you to find a more loving, nurturing learning environment.
