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St. Margaret's Preschool Earns National NAEYC Accreditation

Among First in Nation to Complete More Rigorous Accreditation Process

St. Margaret's Episcopal School Early Child Development Center in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., is one of the first early childhood programs to earn accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) - the nation's leading organization of early childhood professionals, under its new accreditation system.

"We're proud to have earned the mark of quality from NAEYC, and to be recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards, "said Ingrid Andrews, director of St. Margaret's Early Child Development Center. "NAEYC Accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences possible."

Accredited by NAEYC since 1987, the preschool believes that development of the whole child--cognitive, physical, social, emotional and creative growth, happens when children actively participate in their learning in a safe and supportive environment. Simply, preschoolers learn and grow through play. They explore and discover, create and pretend, all the while learning and growing across all areas of development, often at the same time.

The NAEYC Accreditation system has set voluntary professional standards for programs for young children since 1985. As of September 2006, the Association's revised program standards and criteria have introduced a new level of quality, accountability, and service for parents and children in child care programs. The new standards reflect the latest research and best practices in early childhood education and development. NAEYC is committed to utilizing the newest studies and analysis on positive child outcomes to ensure young children continue receiving the highest-quality care and education possible.

To earn NAEYC Accreditation in the new system, St. Margaret's went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the ten new NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related Accreditation Criteria. The program received NAEYC Accreditation after an on-site visit by NAEYC Assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the ten NAEYC program standards. NAEYC-accredited programs are also subject to unannounced visits during their accreditation, which lasts for five years.

St. Margaret's received marks of 100 percent in all 10 standards measured by NAEYC and scored 100-percent-plus by the association for also meeting emerging criteria in the areas of: 1) Assessment of Child Progress, 2) Teachers, 3) Families, 4) Community Relationships, 5) Physical Environment, and 6) Leadership and Management.

In the accreditation report, the Association said, "The NAEYC Academy commends your program for implementing a curriculum that is consistent with its goals for children and promotes learning and development in each of the following areas: social, emotional, physical, language and cognitive."

In the 20 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. More than 11,000 programs, serving one million young children, are currently accredited by NAEYC - approximately 8 percent of all preschools and other early childhood programs. "The new NAEYC Accreditation system raises the bar for preschools, child care centers and other early childhood programs,"" said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC. "St. Margaret's Early Child Development Center NAEYC Accreditation is a sign that they are a leader in a national effort to invest in high-quality early childhood education, and to help give all children a better start."

The NAEYC Accreditation system was created in 1985 to set professional standards for early childhood education, and to help families identify high-quality preschools, child care centers and other early education programs. To earn NAEYC Accreditation, a program must meet each of the ten NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards. Programs are accredited by NAEYC for a five-year period.

Snow Days at St. Margaret's

A typical winter scene occurred earlier this month for St. Margaret's preschool students: children frolicking in the snow. This, however, didn't take place on a trip to the mountains. The students enjoyed the snow from the confines of their school playground in sunny San Juan Capistrano.

St. Margaret's Early Child Development Center pumped in 160 tons of snow to the playground for students to experience real snow as if it had fallen in their own backyards. Students jumped, tasted, sled, threw snowballs, made snow angels and built snowmen, some for the first time.

"We are firm believers that children learn through play. Bringing snow to our school was a special experience for our students especially those who have never seen, felt, tasted or played in snow before," said Ingrid Andrews, director of the Center.

In the weeks prior to the "snow days," teachers read books about snowmen and winter, and encouraged students to share their own experiences and ask questions. The stories exposed the students to new vocabulary, like toboggan, crisp, trudged, dreary, snowstorm, goose bumps, long-johns, snow angels, crunching, smoke-breath, etc.

According to Teacher Sally Helmuth, they hoped that reading stories about the snow would be a good preparation and seeing real snow helped the students to really understand its feel and texture. She said, "We know that young children need lots of concrete, hands-on experiences to begin to understand their world. For children to really understand snow, they need to "do,"" and this week was a week of doing."

As the week progressed, each day brought new experiences. Early in the week, the snow hill was high and students participated in activities like climbing, sledding, and sliding on trays. Later, students put a couple of snowmen on a platter, kept one in the shade and one in the sun and estimated and observed which one would melt faster. Shovels and buckets helped to make structures that eventually created an igloo village made from bucket shapes. Other activities included spraying colored water on the snow and watching slush slide down rain gutters. These activities exposed students to new science and physics concepts, as well as cultivated new gross and fine motor skills.

Contact:
Anne Mack
949.661.0108 x252
949.400.2055 (mobile)
anne.mack@smes.org