Friday, 22 January 2010
The Scarborough Presbyterian Children’s Center, or SPCC as it is known, is located at 671 Scarborough Road. The preschool is housed next door to the Scarborough Presbyterian Church on Scarborough Road at Route 9 in Briarcliff and serves families from Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Scarborough, Briarcliff Manor, Ossining and Pleasantville. In addition to their large, bright classrooms, they have both an outdoor playground and an indoor play area, all of which provide a happy, loving and secure environment.
SPCC is committed to helping children develop their physical, social, emotional, and intellectual capacities and they provide opportunities for success in this process. It is their belief that children grow and learn when they are free to observe, explore, and actively engage in activities at their own developmental levels and pace. SPCC recognizes that children learn through play. Their program provides a warm, nurturing environment in which children can thrive. Each child is treated as an individual, and their needs, learning styles and personalities are respected. A child’s natural curiosity is encouraged and a child’s healthy respect for themselves, for others and for their surroundings is fostered. The thematic curriculum units center around students’ needs and includes discovery in art, music, drama, and literature. At SPCC the cultural curriculum is designed to expose the children to a variety of traditions and beliefs in an effort to create acceptance of diversity. In addition, age appropriate readiness activities in reading, math, and science are offered. A combination of free-play time, group activities and discussions allow the children to practice the social readiness skills necessary to begin Kindergarten with a positive self-image.
Open communication between parents and teachers is the cornerstone of a quality Early Childhood experience and a top priority at SPCC. SPCC has an open door policy for parents. Parents are always welcome to visit and participate both informally and on special occasions. A close relationship between parents and teachers is encouraged. If there is ever a question, concern, or suggestion, the teachers and administrative staff are always eager to help.
Some of the special programs offered at SPCC include: Afternoon Enrichment classes for 2-year olds with topics such as Movement, Go-Green Recycled Art, Cooking and Children’s Literature; Afternoon Enrichment for 3 and 4-year olds with topics such as Sports and Games, Pre-Gymnastics, Music, Science Exploration and Cooking; and an extended day Lunch Bunch program, where the children gather together for lunch and games.
The teaching staff at SPCC provides developmentally appropriate activities to encourage social skills, enhance self-esteem and build self-confidence in each child. All staff members are experienced in early childhood education. In addition, head teachers are required to hold degrees in education or related fields. A head teacher and either one or two teacher assistants are assigned to each class. Many of the SPCC teachers have been with the program for seven or more years.
The staff at SPCC looks forward to an exciting year together with parents and children, a year filled with the wonders of learning, friendships, laughter and lots of fun!
For more information regarding any of the programs at SPCC, please call 914-941-0025, ext. 17.
