Preschool Program
Ages 3 - 5
Development
Play is important work for the preschooler at The Children’s Center. Playing dress up or caring for baby dolls allows your child to develop empathy, while building with blocks or measuring and pouring rice at the sensory table gives him hands-on experiences in math. We help our youngest preschoolers master basic self-help skills, and we plan activities to help develop number and color concepts, along with language and social skills. Your child will learn to work independently and as part of a group. Outdoor play is provided daily, weather permitting, on our spacious playground. Field trips taken throughout the year support the learning that takes place in the classroom. We believe in fostering positive self-esteem, independence, problem solving and decision making. Our goal is to provide experiences that entice your child to want to learn more.
Professional Staff
Our ratio is one educator to between seven and nine preschoolers, better than state standards, with additional staff available as needed. All of our teachers and caregivers have an early childhood education background, and are required to complete 18 hours of staff development each year. They are certified in CPR, first aid and water safety. When hired, all staff members undergo background checks that include fingerprinting. And several of our staff have worked at the center for more than a decade, so you can feel confident your child is in good hands.
Communication
Communication with you is a top priority. We encourage you to call or visit any time. We provide a weekly newsletter that lets you know what books we will read, what games we will play, what trips we will take, so you don’t miss a thing.
When you’re running late for an appointment at the end of the day or just running late, a quick call to the center allows us to support you. We can have your child ready to help you get on your way quickly.
Nutrition
We have a full kitchen at the center, and we serve breakfast, lunch and two snacks daily, all at no additional cost. We follow USDA nutritional guidelines.
Preschool Special Needs
The Children’s Center is an inclusive preschool program that provides special education services to children ages 3 through 5 years who are identified with special needs and supports. We have a special education team consisting of an administrator, a special educator, an occupational therapist assistant, a speech therapist and collaborative classroom teachers who provide educational service to children with individualized educational plans.
Magic Moments
Started in 2013, Magic Moments Preschool is a collaboration between The Lakes Region Technology Center and the Wolfeboro Area Children’s Center.
To be eligible to attend, children must be 3 years old by Sept. 30, 2024. They must also be able to use the bathroom independently.
Taught by lead teacher Kara Cutter and assistant Cristina Kearns, the program runs as a mixed-age group Monday through Friday at the Lakes Region Technology Center. It follows the GWRSD school year calendar. Parents will be able to enroll their child for two days (Tues/Thurs), three days (Mon/Wed/Fri), or five days (Mon-Fri). We will offer before care/early drop off from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. The preschool program schedule will run from 9 a.m. to noon.
As the preschool is a collaboration with LRTC’s Careers in Education technical program, high school students interested in early childhood education are part of the learning experience.
We cannot bus over to The Children’s Center for the afternoon (as we have done in some years past), so Magic Moments is a half-day preschool program. If you are interested in a full-day preschool experience for your child (to include lunch, nap/rest time, afternoon snack and end of day play-based activities), please inquire about our Center preschool program, which is filling up fast for the new school year.