velvetpage (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
velvetpage) wrote2004-09-02 05:03 pm
velvetpage) wrote2004-09-02 05:03 pm
Impressions of a Daycare
Well, Elizabeth and I went to her new daycare to visit today. It was okay - not marvelous, and I would have reservations about sending her there full-time, but okay for one day a week. Here's the rundown.
Physically, the space was good. Indoors, the room was laid out well, with lots of activities and lots of bright colours, posters, and big numbers painted on the wall. It was clean and tidy.
Outside, the play area for her age group contained four or five Little Tykes houses, with slides, ladders, windows and doors, all the right size. There were lots of little cars and push mowers and balls. So far, so good.
Lunch was grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup made with milk, crackers, and pickles. Also a glass of juice to start and a glass of milk to finish. And orange jello, which was a big hit. Again, all fine. She had lots to eat, and was encouraged to be independent. Since she's naturally an independent little soul anyhow, this was all good.
My only issue, and it's a big one, was with the main caregiver. In her defense, her regular second person is on vacation and the student taking her place is not as well trained as might be hoped, so Jeanine was under more stress than usual. However, she didn't have a warm manner with the kids, and I didn't see many of them coming to her for hugs when they fell as I might have expected. She was competent, but not as caring as I would have liked. Maybe the usual second person is the more loving of the two, in which case they'd balance each other off. I hope so.
I didn't get to stay for naptime, though the ladies were getting out little pallets when we left. I also didn't stay for things like story time or song time. I was a bit disappointed that there was no music playing during lunch or the playtime just before it.
In terms of level of French, it was good. As I expected, most of the kids are more functional in English than in French, so it was clearly a bilingual establishment. However, they responded to directions in French and were encouraged to use it, and the caregivers used French first and English second. In Hamilton, it doesn't get any better than that.
My evaluation: 6/10 overall. I would not leave her there full-time unless the other woman was much warmer than the one I met, but then, that was never the goal. For one day a week, to expose her to more French and give Oma a break, it was fine. I doubt I will do more than that, though, until she moves up to the preschool room at age 3 or so.
Physically, the space was good. Indoors, the room was laid out well, with lots of activities and lots of bright colours, posters, and big numbers painted on the wall. It was clean and tidy.
Outside, the play area for her age group contained four or five Little Tykes houses, with slides, ladders, windows and doors, all the right size. There were lots of little cars and push mowers and balls. So far, so good.
Lunch was grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup made with milk, crackers, and pickles. Also a glass of juice to start and a glass of milk to finish. And orange jello, which was a big hit. Again, all fine. She had lots to eat, and was encouraged to be independent. Since she's naturally an independent little soul anyhow, this was all good.
My only issue, and it's a big one, was with the main caregiver. In her defense, her regular second person is on vacation and the student taking her place is not as well trained as might be hoped, so Jeanine was under more stress than usual. However, she didn't have a warm manner with the kids, and I didn't see many of them coming to her for hugs when they fell as I might have expected. She was competent, but not as caring as I would have liked. Maybe the usual second person is the more loving of the two, in which case they'd balance each other off. I hope so.
I didn't get to stay for naptime, though the ladies were getting out little pallets when we left. I also didn't stay for things like story time or song time. I was a bit disappointed that there was no music playing during lunch or the playtime just before it.
In terms of level of French, it was good. As I expected, most of the kids are more functional in English than in French, so it was clearly a bilingual establishment. However, they responded to directions in French and were encouraged to use it, and the caregivers used French first and English second. In Hamilton, it doesn't get any better than that.
My evaluation: 6/10 overall. I would not leave her there full-time unless the other woman was much warmer than the one I met, but then, that was never the goal. For one day a week, to expose her to more French and give Oma a break, it was fine. I doubt I will do more than that, though, until she moves up to the preschool room at age 3 or so.
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