Curriculum
A Day at VICCC
On Mondays through Fridays, the day at VICCC begins at 7:00 a.m., with the arrival of the staff, the first children, and their families. Children are welcomed, offered a filling breakfast, and can socialize with friends or play on their own as families continue to arrive. At 9:00, the day's activities begin.
VICCC uses the excellent STREAMin3 curriculum, which offers an integrated approach to academic, social, and emotional skills. It's designed to focus on the child, and to spark interest and excitement about learning. Believing that "reading is fundamental",children are read to and are given their own copies of age-appropriate books to take home, for their own library. Weather permitting, there is a break for playground and outdoor activities, with the chance to participate in seasonal gardening.
Lunch follows at 11:00, and then it is nap time. Afternoons are filled with more STREAMin3 Activities, an afternoon snack, another time on the playground, and then it is time to get ready to go home. The last pickup is at 5:00. Children go home having had a full and exciting day, and parents have been able to go to work assured that their children are cared for and thriving.
But wait--there's more. In addition to the STREAMin3 curriculum, a generous bequest has made it possible for us to offer the children a specialized program of music and art, each offered once a week.
It has been proven that music is an important catalyst in brain development. Whether you play or listen to music, there is persuasive evidence that experiencing music helps develop stronger mental capacities. We want VICCC children to have every possible advantage for success. Our music classes are led by a musician trained in a pre-school music program. Through song and dance, the children are taught rhythm and pitch, and they learn to listen to and appreciate music from all genres and nationalities.
The art program nurtures creativity, emphasizing process over product. Children experience, experiment, and play with a variety of materials and tools. They learn basic art principles--color, shape, space, patterns, and are exposed to the work of well known artists. Parents and teachers delight in seeing the children's artistic creations, and hearing them make music together. This program plays a great part in making VICCC the joyous place that it is.
