Banneker Early Child Development Center
800 Euclid St. NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-673-7609
Meet the director, Ms. Koskey (pictured left). She has been at Banneker for 18 of the 30 plus years they have been open. Just when she thought she'd seen it all, DPR has privatized its early child care business, leaving most of these centers being run by area non-profits. United Planning Organization (UPO) will take over Banneker within a couple of weeks. I'll be checking back on this center in late-October to see the changes.
About the school
-They have been open for approximately 35 years in this location.
-They are housed on the ground floor, at the back of Banneker Academic High School.
-They are NAEYC accredited.
-The students are between 2 and 5 years old.
-The program is centered around the Head Start philosophy.
Enrollment, times, and cost
-The licensed capacity is 31.
-As of today there are openings, this may change after the UPO transition.
-They have Head Start, low-income, and private (market rate) slots.
-The actual cost will be available after the transition.
-Your child does not have to be potty trained to attend.
-Children are primarily grouped by age, but in some cases by intelligence because they develop at different paces.
-Group sizes are between 16-18.
-The teacher child ratio is 4:1 for 2 year olds and 8:1 for 3 and 4 year olds
-On field trips, the ratio goes up to 2:1
-The hours of the center are from 7am-6pm.
-They follow the DCPS calendar for days off, but operate year round.
-Children must not come earlier than 7am. If you are later than 6pm, there is a charge of $1 per minute after a 6 minute grace period.
-At the moment, all of the students are provided breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack because they qualify for the USDA food program.
Parent interaction
-Ms. Koskey likes to see parent participation. She encourages parents to come and read to the children and accompany them on field trips.
-There is a monthly news letter alerting parents of upcoming events.
-If a problem come up, parents are called in to see how they can work together to help the child.
-Parents must sign in/out their child and doors are kept secure.
-Family and friends are only allowed to pick up a child if a prior written consent is in the child's folder.
About the staff
-Currently they employ 5 full time teachers. Ms. Koskey has a Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education. One other teacher has a bachelors, and the others are CDA trained, and everybody is certified in CPR and first aid.
--The staff submit to background checks, finger printing, and random drug testing.
Health, Hygiene, and Safety
-Children must be immunized in order to attend school in accordance with DC law.
-The sick-child policy is as follows:
-If the child has a runny nose, has a fever, or is contagious, she should stay home. If the child gets sick at school, parents will be called to come and pick up the child.
-Prescription medication will be dispensed by Ms. Koskey, no over the counter meds will be given at any time.
-Children wash their hands after using the bathroom, before they begin play, after coming from the playground, and before meals. The staff have the same requirements.
-Emergency procedures are in place and staff are trained for these scenarios.
Activities, learning, and social skills
-Developmentally based program.
-The children learn letters, numbers, and colors through singing, and books.
-The toys and activities are age appropriate.
-Toys are cleaned and/or replaced on a regular basis.
-Once a week DPR provides transportation to the Petworth public library for the children to attend story hour (this will change once UPO takes over).
-There is a television for educational videos only.
-There are three Little Tykes computers for the children to use. (Very cute, I never knew such things existed)
-Discipline happens with what Ms. Koskey calls 123 magic! The rules are explained at the beginning of the year and go something like this. The child has 3 chances to modify his behavior, and if he doesn't change it, he will get an age appropriate time out. 2 minutes for a 2 year old, 3 minutes for a three year old, and so on.
-If there is an ongoing discipline problem, parent conferences are held.
-Children are comforted with hugs, Ms. Koskey believes this kind of tender comforting allows children to express their feelings.
-Nap time is held from 1-3pm on little cots.
Typical day in this school
Monday-Friday 7:00 am- 6:00 pm
7:00-8:30 am: Arrival and breakfast.
8:40-9:45 am: Free play.
10:00-10:30 am: Circle time.
10:40-11:00 am: Small group reading.
11:05-11:45 am: Center activities.
11:45 am-noon: Lunch preparation.
noon-12:30 pm: Lunch.
12:40-1:00 pm: Small group reading.
1:00-3:00 pm: Nap time.
3:00-3:15 pm: Wake up and toileting.
3:20-3:40 pm: Snack time.
3:50-4:30 pm: Circle time and center activities.
4:30-closing: Free play.
Banneker! Casey planted about 50 trees there this past Spring!
ReplyDeleteDoes the child have to go everyday, all day if you went to this school?
ReplyDeleteMrs.... at the moment they go all day, everyday. I'll check with them after the transition to see it that's changed.
ReplyDelete