TRADITIONAL CARE AGES 6 WEEKS-5 YEARS

YMCA pre-school programs offer year-round care, Monday through Friday for infants, toddlers and pre-school children. The YMCA uses the theme-based Ys Way to the Creative Curriculum with the philosophy that children learn best by doing. The curriculum exposes learning opportunities in the areas of art/writing, language development, reading, math, music n movement, science and discovery, physical activity, cooking and computer programs.

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY

The YMCA is committed to providing quality early learning programs. YMCA pre-school programs are guided by the National Association for the Education of Young Children standards. SOME OF OUR GOALS ARE TO:
* Help children develop to their fullest potential * Support and strengthen families * Deliver early learning in a caring, safe and positive environment

The promise of the Metro Atlanta YMCA preschool program is to provide quality early learning for all children to develop intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically in a safe environment. Family and community involvement is strongly encouraged to support program goals. Reasonable fees are provided to accommodate the entire community.

YMCA MISSION STATEMENT FOR PRE-SCHOOL

Academies of South DeKalb 2924 Evans Mill Road Lithonia, GA 30038

PRE-K AGES 4-5

The purpose of Georgia Pre-Kindergarten is to provide a full day (6.5 hours of instructional services), five days per week, 36 weeks (164 days) per year of appropriate educational, instructional services for four- and five-year-old children. Each class is led by a certified teacher. Georgia Pre-K program goals are to provide an appropriate pre-school education program emphasizing growth in language and literacy, math and science concepts, art and music, physical development, and social concepts.

HEAD START AGES 3-5

Partnership for Community Action Head Start program is a comprehensive early childhood program that develops social competence in children. Head Start programs are guided by a set of program performance standards that specify a wide range of services to ensure comprehensive care including health, education, parent involvement, and social services.

LEARN GROW INSPIRE

YMCA ACADEMIES OF SOUTH DEKALB

WHERE ELSE BUT THE Y

CAN YOU FIND:
* * * * * commitment to character development commitment to the highest standards clean, safe and secure environment nurturing environment experienced staff

SUMMER DAY CAMP AGES 4-7

YMCA summer day camp programs will give you peace of mind while you are at work. This program will assure the learning, fun and character-building experienced during the school year continues into the summer months. The activities are designed to keep your childs mind and body active while nurturing the YMCAs core values: caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.

YS WAY TO THE CREATIVE CURRICULUM

Second only to human relationships, a well-planned curriculum helps define a childs experience in a YMCA program. Curriculum affects all aspects of a program: overall quality, parents perceptions, and the outcomes and benefits of the program for individual children. To ensure that YMCA early childhood programs deliver high-quality activities and interactions, YMCAs have embraced The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, developed by Teaching Strategies, Inc. Based in Washington, D.C., Teaching Strategies is committed to improving the quality of early childhood programs by producing curriculum and training materials.

1 FAMILY

3 COMMUNITY
The YMCA assesses the needs of its community and responds with programs to meet those needs, helping to make the community a healthier, safer, and better place to live. Each YMCA designs and delivers its early learning programs according to the specific needs of families in the neighborhood it serves.

YMCA EARLY LEARNING PHILOSOPHY

YMCA early learning programs are built on the four concepts of family, child, community, and accessibility.
YMCA ACADEMIES OF SOUTH DEKALB LOCATIONS DECATUR 2575-A Snapfinger Rd. Decatur, GA 30034 (770) 987-4666 LITHONIA 2924 Evans Mill Road Lithonia, GA 30038 (770) 484-1625

YMCA early learning is family-centered, which means parents must be included in the care process. The goal of YMCA early learning is to support and assist the parent, to strengthen parentchild relationships, and to increase the importance of the family.

8 CORE CONTENT AREAS:

* Literacy * Social Studies * Healthy Habits * Mathematics * Science * Arts * Technology * Social, Moral and Spiritual Development

CHILD
YMCA early learning programs provide caring role models and age-appropriate experiences that nurture childrens growth, encourage positive behavior, and help children develop a strong sense of right and wrong. Early learning offers great potential for the achievement of the YMCA mission and objectives in the lives of children and families.

4 ACCESSIBILITY
The YMCA believes safety and care are birthrights of all children, and it is the responsibility of parents to provide their children with full-time care from birth through adolescence. Quality early learning must be available to all who need it, not just those who can afford it.

Visit us online at www.ymcaatlanta.org for more information.