HISTORY
Located on the scenic grounds of the Homewood Health Centre near downtown Guelph, Workside Early Childhood Education Centre has been providing and promoting high quality, child centred, early learning and care for children ages three months up to five years of age since 1986. Workside Early Childhood Education Centre is situated in a beautiful historic home generously donated by the Homewood Corporation. Workside is a non-profit, non-share capital corporation, incorporated in the Province of Ontario. Workside is run by a dedicated group of staff and a supportive, voluntary Board of Directors comprised of parents and past parents of Workside children. The centre is open to the dependants of employees of the Homewood Health Centre, and the general public. As we are primarily a worksite child care program, a minimum of 60% of spaces must be filled by the dependants of Homewood employees. Workside is fully licensed and inspected annually by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and abides by all standards outlined in the Day Nurseries Act.
PHILOSOPHY
The programs at Workside Early Childhood Education Centre are designed to provide children with positive learning opportunities in a loving environment. Through their play, and engagement with the environment, children gain an understanding of themselves and others, and are supported in their emotional, social, language, physical and cognitive development.
We respect diversity and provide an inclusive environment in which all children can thrive with due regard to their unique abilities as individuals. Parents, teachers, children and other support agencies work together pro-actively, to ensure that all children have equal opportunities to learn and play. We are committed to integrate an anti-bias philosophy into every part of our program to address the uniqueness of each family unit, and to help children develop their self and group identities, while interacting respectfully with others in a culturally/socially diverse environment.
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CURRICULUM
Emergent curriculum is a planning approach that supports our belief that children are active, sensory learners. The interests, developmental strengths/challenges, and life experiences of individual children and the group are the foundations for all planning. Through observations and interactions with the children, our program staff plan both individual and group activities that engage the children to explore, problem solve, and be participants in their own learning processes.
STAFF
From the program rooms to the office, our staff consists of talented, heart centred individuals who are active in a wide range of personal interests and professional development activities. Our dedicated teaching staff, Administrator, and Assistant Administrator all possess an Early Childhood Education diploma, Child Studies degree or a Ministry approved equivalency, and all are accredited members of the Ontario College of Early Childhood Educators. Our Cook has a certificate from a recognized Safe Food Handling course.
Our Resource Consultant from Trellis Mental Health and Developmental Services works closely with our program staff to provide program consultation, resource materials, and individualized screening and program planning for children experiencing challenges.
Our Centre provides placement opportunities for students from various high schools, Colleges and other training institutions throughout the year. All students and volunteers are directly supervised by our teaching staff and undergo an interview/orientation process to the Centre before commencing with their placement.
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ADMISSION PROCEDURE
If you would like your child to be considered for an available space at Workside, simply complete the waiting list application form (copy on-line) and return it to the Centre with the non-refundable registration fee. Please note that it is our Centre’s practice not to accept a registration form for an infant program space until the infant has been born.
If there are no spaces available, your child’s name will be placed on either the Homewood list or the public list. You will be contacted when a space becomes available for your child.
Upon acceptance, the Administrator of our Centre will arrange for a tour and enrolment visit. This visit is designed to familiarize you and your child with the surroundings, review the Centre’s policies and complete the required enrolment forms.
HOURS
Workside Early Childhood Education Centre is open Monday – Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Our Kindergarten program operates daily from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Centre is closed for all statutory holidays. We offer flexible scheduling and both full and part time spaces.
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