The nurturing environment at NEEC is very welcoming to all
infants, toddlers and their families. E
very classroom is adapted
to meet the individual needs of every child. Our infant/toddler
classrooms have no more than eight children in a classroom with
a 1:4 ratio. We try to keep consistency with the children’s
schedules, following the routine that occurs at home. We provide
cribs for all infants and receive consent from families before
transitioning the children to small cots. Our teachers work very
hard to keep the classrooms sanitized by laundering crib sheets
and blankets daily and disinfecting toys with a bleach solution.
Children are given many opportunities throughout the day to
interact with their peers. Teachers create weekly lesson plans
that reflect the children’s interests and focus on a variety of
developmental areas including: physical, self-help, cognitive,
language, etc. Some examples of activities for infants and
toddlers may consist of pudding paint, sensory tubs with water
or uncooked pasta, and playing with empty boxes. Toddlers are
also introduced to a variety of art materials including crayons,
glue and child-safe scissors. All classrooms are allotted one
hour per day for outside play, 30 minutes in the morning and 30
in the afternoon. We frequently use a buggy that seats 6 young
children (infants or toddlers) that assists us in taking the
children outside.
Families must provide an infant’s food (formula, breast milk,
baby food, etc.), diapers and wipes. Once on table food, NEEC
provides a nutritious lunch and two snacks daily. Lunch menus
are sent home at the beginning of each month so families can
highlight the foods that are appropriate for their child to eat.
NEEC has a kitchen manager on staff to distribute the food to
all children: making sure to follow all health regulations,
being aware of dietary restrictions and food allergies.
Daily notes are sent home with every child that includes
information on eating habits, naps, toileting, and activities
they participated in. Parents have many opportunities for
two-way communication, including biannual Family/Teacher
conferences.
