Toddlers: 1-Year-Old Class
Our 1 Year Olds are on the move! This classroom is designed for their growing mobility, offering ample open spaces and age-appropriate play equipment and toys for safe exploration. Language and social development are also in full swing, and our low teacher-to-student ratio ensures that your child will receive plenty of individualized attention. Our day is full of routines that provide a secure framework for learning.
Our comprehensive, researched-based curriculum offers opportunities for hands-on exploration and discovery that help build lifelong critical thinking skills and foster confidence. We take pride in our educational philosophy because students who go through our program are not only ready for kindergarten, but they have a foundation knowing that learning is fun.
Learning Objectives
At this age, our teachers are focused on four areas of child development: social–emotional, cognitive, physical, and language. We work on these through singing, nursery rhymes, animals/animal sounds, body parts, and labeling objects. The areas in the room are designed to enhance imagination and promote learning through play.
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Our curriculum is rooted in 38 research-based objectives that are aligned with state early-learning guidelines and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. You can see these objectives in detail on our Curriculum Page.
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Daily Schedule
Arrival
Breakfast & Cleanup
Stories and Songs
Midmorning Play
Outside Play
Lunch & Cleanup
Rest Time
Snack & Cleanup
Afternoon Play
Outside Play
Departure
Nutrition and Meal Times
New Beginnings provides breakfast, lunch, and snacks as part of your tuition. We know that mornings can be hectic, and so we take breakfast and having to pack food for the day “off your plate.” We provide healthy meals that meet the Federal Food Program guidelines for nutritional requirements and portion size for your child’s age, cooked by a full-time chef who prepares a monthly menu.
Teachers and students eat “family style” around a table with plates, cups, napkins, and utensils, because mealtime is prime time for social development. Read more about our Nutrition Program here or see this month's menu.
Lead Teacher
Michele Callahan
Michele has been a valuable member of our team since 2004 and has Associate in Arts and Child Development Associate degrees. Her long experience working with kids has taught her that you have to be flexible and think on your feet, moving on to something new if an activity isn’t working. Her favorite time of the school day is Circle Time, watching and listening to the children converse as everyone says “Good Morning” to each other. Michele says, “I love the look of wonderment on the kids’ faces when they accomplish something for the first time, which happens all the time at this age.” When she is not at work, Michele is a book and movie buff, enjoys cooking, and is currently researching her family tree.