REQUIREMENTS
Must be 6 weeks by start date .

RATIO
1:4

SCHEDULE OPTIONS
5 DAYS (Monday-Friday):
Full Time (7:30 am - 5:30 pm)

DESCRIPTION OF THE CATERPILLARS PROGRAM
The Caterpillars Program is designed to provide a warm, safe, and nurturing environment for babies who are just beginning their educational journey. This program is especially important as it is often the first time that children will be away from their families and exposed to the concept of school. The program's primary focus is on making every child feel comfortable and cared for, which is critical to their overall learning experience.

The program's approach is centered on providing children with a supportive environment that encourages imaginative play, social skill development, independence, and basic self-help skills. This approach recognizes that children at this stage of development learn through all five senses and need a variety of experiences to learn effectively. As a result, the program offers opportunities for open-ended outdoor play in safe and natural spaces, which allows children to explore and engage with their environment actively.

GOALS OF THE CATERPILLARS PROGRAM
The Caterpillars Program has several goals designed to ensure that every child experiences significant growth during their time in the program. By the time a child completes the Caterpillar class, they should be able to demonstrate significant progress in the following areas:

• Spiritual Development: The program aims to foster a child's spiritual growth by helping them understand the love that God has for them and encouraging them to pray anytime and anywhere.

• Emotional Development: The program focuses on helping children develop healthy separation from their families, as well as teaching them how to self-soothe and seek help from adults when needed.

• Social Development: The program helps children learn how to share space and materials, seek positive interaction from adults and peers, and show empathy toward others. It also encourages children to develop connections with their peers and experience the joy of attending school.

• Cognitive Development: The program recognizes that children at this age are naturally curious and encourages this curiosity by allowing it to drive their interests and inquiries.

• Physical Development: The program helps children develop some self-help skills, including feeding themselves successfully, completing some self-help tasks with little assistance, and developing basic motor skills.

Every child grows in their own way and in their own time, yet by the time a child completes the Caterpillar class, they should demonstrate significant growth in the following areas:

Your Caterpillar learner will…

• understand the love God has for them and that they can pray anytime and anywhere.

• separate from family at drop-off in a healthy manner

• are able to self-soothe 

• know how to seek help from an adult when needed

• seek positive interaction from adults and peers

• feed themselves successfully

• complete some self-help tasks with little assistance

• show some empathy toward others

• allow their curiosity to drive their interest and inquiries

• demonstrate some connection to peers

• experience the joy of attending school