ORR Early Childhood Office & CFCE for Marion, Rochester, and Mattapoisett

CFCE FOR TOWNS OF MARION, ROCHESTER, AND MATTAPOISETT

The Department of Early Education and Care Connecting Families and Community Engagement (CFCE) funding provides all families with access to locally available comprehensive services and supports that strengthen families, promote optimal child development and bolster school readiness.


HISTORY

In response to a documented community need and funded through a Massachusetts Department of Education Chapter 188 Early Childhood Discretionary Grant, Project GROW opened its doors on February 1, 1988. Located at the Sippican School, this marked the first public school involvement in pre-school education in the Old Rochester Regional School District. Continued state funding, as well as support from the local school budgets, has enabled the program to operate up to the present. In September, 1992, a second classroom opened at the Memorial School in Rochester. In March, 1993, the third classroom opened at the Center School, Mattapoisett.

Project GROW offers high quality pre-school education to Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester children and includes children with special needs. It attempts to reach the goal of affording all children the opportunity for a pre-school experience.

Project GROW recognizes that parents are children’s first and most important teacher. Parent involvement, through contributions of time and talent to the classroom, participation in parent education opportunities or membership in the Tri-
Town Parents’ Group, is integral to the program. Parents are offered information and support in educating their children, through attendance at parent meetings and workshops, through use of the Early Childhood Resource Center and through participation with the Early Childhood Council.

PHILOSOPHY

Children are learning from the moment of birth. They learn to move, to manipulate, to communicate, to interact with others, to solve problems, to understand how things work. They arrive at their first “school” situation as active, experienced learners. Their knowledge has been structured by their environment, their interaction with it and the involvement of the adults around them. It is the responsibility of the early childhood classroom to continue this natural process of learning at school. It is the responsibility of the early childhood professional to create an environment that allows for active exploration and involvement in materials, concepts and experiences. In this setting, children are respected for their ability to structure their own learning, with the support of early childhood professionals knowledgeable in how children grow and develop.

CURRICULUM

With the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks as a guide, the High/Scope curriculum is used by Project GROW. Using a developmentally appropriate approach, it addresses children’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical development – all necessary for school readiness.

Children follow a classroom routine that includes the High/Scope plan - do - review
component. The staff careful structures the classroom environment through arrangement and selection of materials. The children then must decide and describe process. The staff carefully structures the classroom environment through arrangement and selection of materials. The children must decide and describe what they plan to do each day during work time. Then they are expected to follow through on their plan - that is, do it. After, they must meet with the group and tell what they did, how they did it, etc., - that is, review it. In this process, the child takes the responsibility for his/her own actions in a very structured way. She/he learns that each person can develop a unique idea, carry it out and then evaluate it. Families are informed of child progress through checklists, work samples and in conference.

ACCREDITATION

Since February 1994, Project GROW has been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Early childhood programs accredited by NAEYC have voluntarily undergone a comprehensive process of internal self-study, invited external professional review to verify compliance with the Academy’s Criteria for High Quality Early Childhood Programs and been found to be in substantial compliance with the Criteria.


The Old Rochester Regional School district does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, sexual orientation, homelessness or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in or employment in its programs and activities.