Our Philosophy
At St. David’s Center, we focus on the important relationships in a child’s life and invite parents to be actively involved in their child’s early learning, providing the confidence that their child is adequately prepared for kindergarten and beyond.
Early education lays the foundation for lifelong educational curiosity.
Young children have an innate desire to learn. Early positive experiences encourage this desire, laying the foundation for future capable, competent learning. Together parents and teachers can nurture curiosity and exploration to promote early learning and development that builds confidence for life-long learning.
Relationships affect all aspects of a young child’s development.
Strong positive relationships provide the foundation for a child’s long-term social, emotional and cognitive health. A child’s most important relationships begin with her/his family. Healthy, responsive relationships with teachers and caregivers also play an important role in the lives of young children.
The teacher’s role is to partner with, nurture and guide children in all areas of development.
As a partner and guide, the teacher supports students with different learning styles, respecting each child’s unique contributions and abilities. The teacher encourages discovery and learning through creating thoughtful environments and supplying material and activities that nurture social, emotional, cognitive and physical development.
Social-emotional development is the foundation for all other areas of learning.
Through play, children learn to relate to others and their world socially and emotionally. When children engage in developmentally-appropriate play, lifelong skills such as problem solving, relating to others and effective communication lay a strong foundation for emerging cognitive abilities.
The classroom environment is a powerful teaching tool that can open the door to social interaction, dramatic play and problem solving.
A successful environment will engage children on their own terms, furthering their exploration and understanding of the world. Indoor and outdoor environments serve as the “third educator” in collaboration with teachers and children.