Bright Start at Mid-Coast Presbyterian Church provides nurturing child care and a developmentally appropriate early educational environment where children ages 2 ½ through 5 may come to play and learn in a safe, inclusive and non-competitive setting.
We use The Creative Curriculum, a research based program, to help us organize our curriculum. Here the emphasis is on setting up the environment with interest areas and the vital role of the teacher in connecting content, teaching and learning for preschool children.
We also use the State of Maine Early Childhood Learning Guidelines to further define our program. Our basic child care program, which provides the foundation for all other programming, offers safety and fun in a stimulating environment.
PRESCHOOL MODULE
Our Preschool module introduces group learning and beginning early educational skill-building activities. Daily planned activities include a great mix of stories (read and told), creative art, music, rhythm and movement, dramatic play, beginning math and science concepts, block building, play in the sand/water table, beginning computer skills, familiarity with colors, letters and numbers, games, laughter, fun and a whole lot more. Ours is a very open-ended curriculum, which allows our teachers to expand upon themes and activities enabling us to meet the development and skill levels of a variety of ages. Large muscle and outdoor play on our large well-equipped playground are important parts of our daily program.
K-READY MODULE
K-Ready, our kindergarten readiness module, offered in the afternoon, is for children ages 4 – kindergarten and is an added opportunity to practice and further hone the early learning skills introduced in preschool—skills they need ripe and ready for early success in the kindergarten classroom. In K-Ready, pre-reading, pre-writing, and fine motor skills are practiced in a variety of fun and interesting activities. Children learn through literacy activities, sequencing, matching, sorting, patterning, cutting, coloring, etc.
MUSIC WITH TAMMIS
Music with Tammis is an enrichment module that is provided for preschool children at Bright Start each week. Tammis Lareau is a licensed Kindermusik & Musikgarten instructor who provides musical adventures each week that give preschoolers a participatory introduction to music. Children have opportunities to explore a variety of musical instruments and Tammis weaves exciting participatory excursions into many different aspects of music. Research indicates children involved in music at an early age have greater success in academics later on especially in math and sciences. Tammis is also an excellent storyteller and dramatist who loves to bring “living story” experiences to the children of Bright Start.
TUMBLE BUS
In the winter months, when it is difficult to get outside as much as developing muscles need, we contract with Mid-Coast Gymnastics for weekly use of their Tumble Bus. The Tumble Bus is a mobile tumbling & gross-motor lab that is outfitted with changing configurations of mats, mini-tramps, rings, balance beam, tubes, slides, etc. The Tumble Bus comes right to the Center and the children go aboard for 30 minutes of guided gross-motor building fun.
Music with Tammis and the Tumble Bus are enrichment modules that are included in our weekly rates – there is no additional fee charged as there is in many programs.
Our regular Preschool and K-Ready programs pretty much follow the public school calendar—September-June. We then have our Summer Playschool program for nine weeks in the summer. It has many of the same offerings but is a bit less structured and has more outside play time and field trip excursions.
DEVELOPMENTAL THERAPY
Bright Start’s programs have been certified by the Maine Department of Education to provide Developmental Therapy for children ages 3 - 5 years old. We receive referrals from outside agencies such as Child Development Services (CDS) for placement in our enrichment modules.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
We encourage parents to visit our center when we’re in session, offer their skills for enrichment possibilities, and participate when they are able. We assess each child’s progress on a developmental continuum and have parent-teacher conferences twice a year to share that information. Whenever parents have questions or concerns, the door is open so we can talk about them. Twice a year we have an evening of dinner and activities for Board, Staff, Volunteers, and all the Bright Start children and their families. There is a weekly newsletter to keep parents informed on what is happening at Bright Start.
FIELD TRIPS
Bright Start has a tradition of providing community service and involving our children with intergenerational opportunities. Thus we make regular visits to the Sky-Hy Adult Day Care program and The Highlands Retirement Community, sharing snacks and activities with the disabled/elderly in those programs. We also have field trips to the library, Portland Symphony Orchestra’s KinderKonzerts in Brunswick, Maine State Music Theater, etc. For these field trips, we contract with Brunswick Taxi to transport the children in their van and we have the children use their own car seats. Once a year, in the summer, we have an all school field trip and picnic. For that experience we contract with Bill Reed's Transportation to provide a school bus. Unfortunately, the school bus does not have seat belts or the ability to use car seats, but we have not been able to find any other way to transport such a large group.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
We believe that every child, regardless of economic circumstances, culture, religion, physical or emotional delay or disability, is deserving of a safe and nurturing space in which to grow and learn. Inclusion is an integral part of Bright Start’s dedication to valuing all children. Children and their families of all faiths and cultures are welcomed and respected here. Bright Start is a non-profit, non-sectarian child care center. We encourage children and their families to bring their cultural and faith-based traditions into the classroom to inform and share with us.
MID-COAST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Bright Start is a major mission of Mid-Coast Presbyterian Church. Because the church believes in making early childhood care and enrichment an affordable option for all families in the community, the church provides the facilities at no charge to enable us to offer tuition reductions to families who are income eligible. Mid-Coast Presbyterian Church invites our families to participate in any of their programs and activities and to avail themselves of pastoral services if desired.
LICENSING
We are licensed by the State of Maine to provide child care. The Rules for the Licensing of Children’s Day Care Facilities, a publication prepared by the Child Care Licensing Unit of the Maine Department of Human Services, is available for you to read. Please ask to borrow a copy if you are interested. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to the director about them.
See ADDITIONAL PARENT HANDBOOK CONTENT link for more information including daily schedule, what to bring, policy on discipline, etc.
