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St. Paul's School

The Children's Learning Center

OUR MISSION & PHILOSOPHY

The Children's Learning Center is a department of the St. Paul's School and provides work-site child care as a benefit to school employees. The Center uses the teaching team approach, which combines the training and early childhood education of all its teachers to provide high quality care in an innovative and consistent program. Located on the grounds of the St. Paul's School, the CLC offers the children enriching learning experiences that promote positive self-image as well as strong cognitive and social skills.

The Children's Learning Center works under the assumption that each child is unique with his or her own interests, needs, and abilities. Both the physical layout and positive atmosphere of the CLC help to provide a warm, safe, and nurturing environment that encourages independence, self-respect and a sensitivity to and awareness of others.

OUR PROGRAM
The Children's Learning Center offers a school-year session and two summer sessions that loosely follow the St. Paul's School academic calendar. The Center operates year round with one-week breaks in late December and in mid-summer.
The CLC offers full- and part-time child care in the Infant/Toddler and Preschool Programs. Children may enroll in full-day sessions only. Half-day sessions are not offered. A full day runs from from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Drop-in care is available on a first come, first served basis to those families enrolled in the program, depending upon space, staff coverage, and director discretion.
The School-Age classroom offers both after-kindergarten and after-school care. The after-kindergarten program includes a school day session from 10:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. or a full-day session from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The after-school program offers an afternoon session from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Infant/Toddler Program
Children six weeks to three years old are enrolled in one of two infant/toddler classrooms. Each classroom consists of a small, constant group of children and adults with no more than 11 children. A teacher-child ratio of 1:3 for infants and 1:4 for toddlers allows for individual attention and a secure, comfortable environment.
Preschool Program
Designed for children three to five years old, the preschool classroom is limited to 18 children and maintains a 1:6 teacher-child ratio. The classroom has a variety of activity areas that encourage creativity in group and individual play. In addition, children participate in teacher-planned, skill-based and free-play activities that center on the children's interests and individual needs.
School-Age Program
Children in kindergarten through third grade may enroll in the School-Age Program, which complements the children's public school schedules. The classroom is designed for a maximum of 22 children with a 1:11 teacher-child ratio. With transportation provided by the public school bus system, children are brought directly to the Children's Learning Center from school. Special programs are offered during public school vacations in February and April and as needed on early-release days and snow days.
Parent Communication
Notes are sent home daily detailing each child's day at the CLC. Teachers are available to talk about the day or about other issues when parents drop off and pick up their children. The CLC produces a quarterly newsletter, distributes monthly curriculum calendars and provides menus for its cooperative snack program. Every six months, a developmental progress report is discussed in parent conferences. Parents are welcome and encouraged to visit during the day.
Contact the CLC
Gail E.C. Gettens, Director
(603) 229-5576
ggettens@sps.edu

Barbara A. Ciarla, Assistant Director
(603) 229-5631
bciarla@sps.edu

Meet the CLC Teaching Team
Apply to the CLC
Electronic application process. For more information, refer to the 2013-14 After School Program Information

Electronic application process

CLC Helpful Links
Daily activities for each classroom

CLC cooperative snack calendar
Evaluate the CLC
Parents: Let us know what you think

Please complete this parent evaluation
NAEYC Accreditation
The Children's Learning Center has been accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs since July, 1993. It is one 51 early childhood programs in New Hampshire (out of 1,200 licensed facilities in the state) and less than 8,300 programs nationally to have achieved accreditation. Accreditation criteria far exceed individual state licensing requirements in the areas of teacher-to-child ratios and group sizes, curriculum, teacher credentials, and program management. NAECP accreditation is the field's professional benchmark for high quality early childhood education and child care programming.