Programs
Infants (6 weeks to 18 months)
An Extension of Your Home
Watch Me Grow’s infant rooms are designed to be an extension of your home. Our mission is to provide individual care for your child based on their schedule and your preferences. Partnership and communication with parents is most important in our infant rooms. Our caregivers will work with parents to develop an individual plan specific to each child. Infants require their own specific schedule and Watch Me Grow’s caregivers will continue to provide the same schedule and routines your child follows at home.
Each routine care giving activity is our caregivers’ opportunity to interact with and engage your child. Quality care, activities, and a responsive, nurturing and loving environment enhance your child’s physical, cognitive, emotional and social growth.
Our infant classroom cares for no more than 8 infants, with a child to staff ratio of 4:1. Daily written reports will detail all feedings, rest periods, diapering, and activities. Our infant caregivers will constantly communicate with parents and adjust individual care plans to respond to your child’s changing needs and development.
Toddlers (18 - 36 months)
Toddlers are developmentally and emotionally ready to begin to participate in semi-structured activities. Children of toddler age are rapidly developing their social and language/pre-literacy skills. Watch Me Grow’s toddler room schedules are designed to allow toddlers to develop early language/literacy, cognitive, social and fine/gross motor skills. Our toddler schedules are designed to be flexible in order to adjust to the children’s needs and interests, and to ensure that they are actively engaged in their environment. Daily routines also promote self-help skills and provide a safe and loving environment for our toddlers to grow.
Curriculum
Each toddler Lead Teacher develops curriculum specifically for their classroom. This allows curriculum to be developed specifically for the interest and developmental level of the children in that class. We never use “center-wide” curriculum like many other centers. Teachers develop their curriculum around a weekly theme and all activities relate to that theme. Each and every day contains a language, science, art, math/cooking, music/movement, and fine/large motor activity.
Daily Schedule
|
6:30 – 8:15 |
Arrival |
| 8:15 – 8:30 | Transition Clean up, toileting, diapering, and hand washing. |
|
8:30 – 9:00 |
Morning Snack |
|
9:00 – 9:15 |
Transition |
|
9:15 – 11:45 |
Morning Activity |
|
11:45 – 12:00 |
Transition |
|
12:00 – 12:30 |
Lunch |
|
12:30 - 12:45 |
Transition |
|
12:45 - 1:00 |
Story/Quiet Time |
|
1:00 - 3:00 |
Nap Time |
|
3:00 - 3:15 |
Transition |
|
3:15 – 3:45 |
Afternoon Snack |
|
3:45 - 4:00 |
Transition |
|
4:00 - 6:00 |
Afternoon Activity |
Pre-K (ages 3 – 4 years)
Our 3 year old classrooms are equipped to begin building our children’s pre-kindergarten skills. Watch Me Grow classrooms are equipped with language/reading, art, dramatic play, science, manipulatives, blocks, sand/water, and music centers. These various centers allow children to work independently, partnered, or in groups. The hands-on experiences support choice, creativity, and critical thinking. Classroom centers are structured for both quiet and active play.
Curriculum
In addition to the various classroom centers, the amount of structured time in the classroom begins to increase. Structured, teacher lead circle times and structured activities are used in addition to free-choice activities in order to prepare children for skills needed in kindergarten.
Each and every day in Watch Me Grow’s Pre-K classrooms include a language, science, art, math/cooking, music/movement, and large/fine motor skill activity. In addition to our daily curriculum, our Pre-K children participate in all of Watch Me Grow’s enrichment programs.
As in every classroom, a daily report is sent home as well as a journal entry regarding your child’s day.
Daily Schedule
|
6:30 – 8:15 |
Arrival |
| 8:15 – 8:30 | Transition Clean up, toileting, diapering, and hand washing. |
|
8:30 – 9:00 |
Morning Snack |
|
9:00 – 9:15 |
Transition |
|
9:15 – 11:45 |
Morning Activity |
|
12:00 – 12:30 |
Lunch |
|
12:30 - 12:45 |
Transition |
|
12:45 - 1:00 |
Story/Quiet Time |
|
1:00 - 3:00 |
Nap Time |
|
3:00 - 3:10 |
Transition |
|
3:10 – 3:30 |
Afternoon Snack |
|
3:30 - 5:00 |
Afternoon Activity |
|
5:00 - 6:00 |
Free Play Children self-select activities in learning centers, gym, or outdoor playground. Departure Children are picked up based on parent’s schedule. |
Kinder-Readiness Pre-K (ages 4 - 5 years)
Watch Me Grow’s Pre-K graduates are more than ready for Kindergarten. Our 4 year old Kinder-Readiness classrooms are equipped with language, reading, art, dramatic play, science, manipulatives, blocks, sand/water, and music centers. We provide more materials and curriculum than most area Pre-K’s. Each and every day our Pre-K children participate in language, science, art, math/cooking, music/movement, and large/fine motor skill activities. Our curriculum is tailored to teach and develop the skills required for your child’s school district Pre-K screening. Structured and semi-structured activities increase in frequency and duration in preparation for Kindergarten.
In addition to our daily curriculum, our Kinder-Readiness Pre-K children participate in all of Watch Me Grow’s enrichment programs.
Pre-K Evaluation Testing
All Pre-K children at Watch Me Grow complete Pre-K evaluation testing at the beginning of the year. Our evaluations test for the same items tested by school district’s Pre-K screenings. We review these evaluations with parents and identify strength and weaknesses so that your child’s teacher can tailor curriculum to meet your child’s specific needs. Children are re-evaluated throughout the year to monitor progress. The quality of our Pre-K is displayed each and every year as our Pre-K graduates consistently perform extremely well on their school district’s kindergarten screenings.
Graduation
Watch Me Grow Kinder-Readiness graduates are exceptionally well-prepared for kindergarten; intellectually, developmentally, socially and emotionally. Our Kinder-Readiness graduation ceremony is quite the event. It is big night, not only for the children, but for moms, dads and grandparents as well. Bring a box of tissues for our ceremony ending "year in review” slide show. It’s a beautiful ceremony celebrating our children’s achievements!
Daily Schedule
|
6:30 – 8:15 |
Arrival |
| 8:15 – 8:30 | Transition Clean up, toileting, diapering, and hand washing. |
|
8:30 – 9:00 |
Morning Snack |
|
9:15 – 12:00 |
Morning Activity |
|
12:00 – 12:30 |
Lunch |
|
12:30 - 12:45 |
Transition |
|
12:45 - 1:00 |
Story/Quiet Time |
|
1:00 - 3:00 |
Nap Time |
|
3:00 - 3:10 |
Transition |
|
3:10 – 3:30 |
Afternoon Snack |
|
3:30 - 5:00 |
Afternoon Activity |
|
5:00 - 6:00 |
Free Play Children self-select activities in learning centers, gym, or outdoor playground. Departure Children are picked up based on parent’s schedule. |
Summer Camp (ages 5 - 12 years)
Watch Me Grow’s summer camp emphasizes “Fun” for children ages 5 to 12. Our program provides children with a summer filled with excitement, adventure, new friends and fond memories. Our summer campers enjoy planned activities, field trips, sports, visitors, special events, arts & crafts, games, science experiments, cooking creations and outdoor fun in a safe and supervised environment. We provide campers with a wide range of experiences via field trips and center visitors. Unlike many other camps, we go on real field trips outside the Center. For example, our campers have experienced:
Field Trips
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Center Visitors
|
Unlike many other summer camps, we adhere to New York State Office of Children & Family Service building, safety, staff qualifications, and teacher to child ratio regulations. These requirements are much more stringent than those followed by many other summer camps.
Scheduling
Summer camp scheduling is extremely flexible. Parents can schedule care around their family vacations and days off.
School Age (ages 5 – 12 years)
Watch Me Grow’s school age program allows children the opportunity to have a snack, do homework, relax and unwind, or participate in self-choice activities/projects. All school age care scheduling is extremely flexible and can accommodate varying schedules. Transportation is available from the Cheektowaga Central School District’s bus service.
Before/After School Care
We can provide before school, after school, or before and after school care based on each child’s needs. Full or part-time care is available.
School Holiday/Teacher Conference Care
Full day and half day care is provided on all school holidays, school breaks, and teacher conference days. Since we are in the Cheektowaga Central School district, we follow the school calendar of their district.
Summer Camp
Watch Me Grow offers a fun-filled summer camp filled with activities, field trips and special events. See our Summer Camp page for program details.