|
| |
History and Philosophy |
| The Big Top Child Care Center of
Laurel was originally Mary Moppets. Although originally a
franchise, we had been privately owned and operated by members of
the Joseph R. Breslin family from 1972 until 2007. In 1989, Marianne
Breslin Waugh assumed directorship, as well as the ownership of the
center. |
|
|
In January 2007, Lawrence
“Scott” and Crystal Friend purchased the business from Marianne in
hopes of continuing the tradition of providing quality care in a family,
home-like atmosphere. Lawrence worked in management for 17 years before
coming to the center to work as an aide in the preschool classroom. Crystal
began working for the center in 2000 as a teacher in the preschool room
before beginning training for the directorship position. Crystal is
completing her bachelor’s degree in business and they both take annual
trainings to keep abreast of all current childcare trends.
During the many years of operation, The Big Top has succeeded in providing
all inclusive, top quality childcare at reasonable prices. We care for your
child in a clean, safe environment that invites growth and development in a
stimulating atmosphere. Our staff continually guides your child through our
carefully planned day, allowing for both a structured and free form balance
of activities. Our staff development requirements far exceed those dictated
by our licensing agency and include: workshops, seminars, videos,
in-service, conferences, mentoring, observations and visits, and college
course work. These enable us to maintain and refresh our curriculum while
keeping abreast of current child development practices. Annual evaluations
and the State Credentialing process are used as a measurement of our growth
and development.
Our primary goal is to help your child reach their full potential
emotionally, socially, physically, and intellectually through the use of
developmentally appropriate practices, while preparing them for their future
in school or enriching their current school status. A copy of the text we
use for our curriculum plans is available upon request. We stress the
importance of group social skills in our curriculum because we believe these
skills are crucial to the success of children in a formal school
environment. We also stress and value the importance of our families in our
day-to-day operations, as well as, the reflection of their social and
cultural influence in our program. Your child's progress is monitored
through various methods including semi-annual evaluations and our individual
cumulative assessment plans. |
|
|
