Children's Center Communication

Cabrillo College Children's Center

Family-School Communications

The relationship between parents and teachers is very important to children. Mutual respect, mutual support and good communication can make a huge difference in your child's experience. Our parent/teacher partnership will bridge your child's home/school experience. We will do our best to keep you informed about your child's day at school, our curriculum, and our thoughts about your child's growth and development. We count on you to let us know what is going on at home. "Ordinary events," such as a new pet, a relative's visit, the birthday of a sister or brother, can help us shape curriculum around your child's interest. Some aspects of family life are more stressful for children, and are very important for the teaching staff to know about. Changes in the family, illness, separations, moves to a new home, are often hard for children to understand. If we are kept informed we may be able to support you and your child and to help your child think about what is happening. There are lots of ways to keep talking together-all of them will make a difference to your child. It is our policy that sensitive family matters are confidential, and discussions are limited to the trained teaching staff.

The basic school "rule" is that we don't hurt each other, nor do we hurt our school environment and materials. Rather than focusing on what we do not want children to do, we try to teach them what we do want them to do. (This is teaching "yes" rather than "no"). Most children eagerly learn these skills and feel proud of their own social competence. There are many reasons for a child's "difficult" behavior, many of them having to do with healthy developmental stages. Please let us know if there are behaviors or issues you would like to discuss with us. If a child is having a hard time at school, we will invite you to help us think about ways to better meet your child's needs.

We occasionally draw upon outside resources as needed. In case of continuing behaviors that we are unable to resolve in the Center, we may recommend professional consultation, home visits, focused child observations and guidance from counselors or therapists. Teachers, students and parents may not use any methods of discipline that physically or emotionally harm the child at any time in the Center. Corporal punishment is against the California State law and contrary to Center philosophy.

Daily Communications

Your child's teacher will be available upon your arrival to greet you and your child. This is a wonderful time to pass on information or ask questions. You can also use the phone to check in on how your child is doing. If you call Gloria or Raneta at 479-6352, they can check with the teacher for you. You can also leave written notes for the staff on the sign-in sheets.

Conferences

For longer discussions, we can arrange a special time to meet with one of the teachers and/or the director. A conference, or discussion focusing on your child, can be arranged at any time during the year. During the Spring semester, the teachers will schedule a conference with everyone. This can be a time for sharing observations, for looking at children's growth and for bringing up questions or concerns.

Observation Areas

The observation areas are available for you to use at any time to observe your child or the program in general. Teachers and other adults in the community who work with children often use the observational facilities of the Center to see our program, environment, and the interaction of children and adults.

Staff

The Children's Center is staffed by members of the Cabrillo College Early Childhood Education Department. Children's teachers are well-trained, experienced child care professionals employed by the college and are part of the faculty. The Director is a member of the faculty who teaches a variety of courses in the Department as well as teaching in the Center.

Student Interns are teaching assistants and are paid members of the teaching team while continuing their training.

The program is also staffed by student teachers who have completed course work in Child Development and are taking classes in children's curriculum and understanding children's behavior. A faculty member supervises each team of students and is another member of the teaching team.

As a part of the Early Childhood Education Department, the Center staff has access to the expertise of all of the faculty as part of its resource staff.

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