At Joan Ivany Allen Gray Child Development Centre, we recognize the importance of quality care for your child.  Finding the right childcare centre, with a balance of both, an educational and a play component is essential for your child’s development. 

Your child’s experience at Joan Ivany Allen Gray Child Development Centre will help them prepare intellectually, socially and emotionally for future grade school education. We welcome children of ages 12 months to 6 years with diverse backgrounds and learning goals.

Well-trained educators have a direct correlation with creating high outcomes for children’s success in all areas of development.  Our team has long-term educators who have completed the early learning childcare program. All our primary educators in the classrooms have a level 3 ECE certification and our relief and support educators have level 1 or 2 ECE certification.

• Daily Health Screening – Health Questionnaire is completed on each child and educator before entering the classroom – temperature checks are taken

•  Parents dropping off and picking up their child limit their visit to 15 minutes – one family at a time entering and exiting classrooms

•  Parents to wear masks during drop off and pick ups

•  High touch surfaces, toys, and equipment cleaned frequently

•  Communal sensory tables such as sand and water are not in use

•  Area rugs have been removed from playrooms

•  Enhanced Hand Hygiene - frequent hand hygiene for children, educators, and parents enforced

•  Restricted to our own wing of the building – no contact with residents or other departments at this time

•  Individually plated meals delivered by Food Services

Flight Curriculum

Our educators use the Flight Curriculum

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Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework.  This curriculum focuses on imaginative, fluid and organic work that is representative of children’s every day curriculum.

It encourages freedom and thought and inspires growth, change, and innovation while nurturing children as mighty learners and citizens.  Children’s self-directed playtime is an integral part of our program

Outdoor

Play

We have two purpose built enclosed outdoor playgrounds that provide opportunity for children to explore supervised play in a safe environment. Recently, we have incorporated a natural outdoor play area.

This provides children with rich opportunities to participate in risky play outdoors which challenge and test children’s physical literacy while also building an appreciation for nature.

Meals

We provide individually plated meals from our kitchen that are nutritious and designed to provide children with the nutrients needed for engaging in learning and play. We serve a hot breakfast and lunch and  a nutritious snack in the afternoon.

Daily

Communication

We provide communication, messages, journalsand photos of your child’s learning through our Fastoche communication system that is supported through a Wi-Fi system, which extends within our building as well as to our outside playgrounds.

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Kindergarten children are able to use smart technology and encouraged to engage in our SMART board to sign in and have limited access to electronics as part of their learning.

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Nurturing

Environment

We endeavor to provide equal care and warmth from educators in a warm and nurturing environment. Keeping in mind, that each child is unique with their own sensitivity level and deserves to be treated accordingly, our philosophy enforces the recognition of each child’s talents, strengths, and areas of growth.

Children will be free to express themselves and we will encourage each child to develop individually and to gain a sense of trust and security, thus growing into more confident, social and responsible individuals.

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One of the most essential purposes of Daycare and Pre-school is to prepare children for the road ahead: for social interaction, for independence, and for educational advancement.

Our centre uses the GRIT ASaP Pyramid model to support children in identifying their emotions, using visuals to help remind them of the room expectations, daily routine and problem solving steps.

This model of learning helps to increase capacity for high emotional health and well-being

Parent

Education

We provide educational workshops and training sessions to help parents strengthen and build their parenting skills and to network with other parents.