We refer to them as Distinguished Discoverers from two years of age until they turn three .  "The world is me," says your two-year-old.  You will spend more time listening as your mature toddler shares all he/she experiences in the world.  So far, the world has been explored with eyes, mouth, hands, and legs.Now is the time for exploration through thinking.   A two-year-old will spend more and more time on a specific task.  They love to help and are very independent.  Their favorite words are "Mine," and "No," and "I'll do it." A great deal of time is spent exploring, pulling, pushing, filling, dumping and touching.   Our Distinguished Discoverers enjoy a variety of activities throughout their structured day.  We plan their day to include simple stories, rhymes and songs.  We communicate constantly so as to foster the development of vocabulary and sentence structure.  We provide hands-on activities that include manipulation of art medium, blocks and puzzles, making music and others.  The children are submersed in activities centered on weekly themes in areas that include math, science, language arts, social studies, music, fine and gross motor development, art, and social development.  We strategically plan activities that include large group, small group and individualized instruction.  Three times per year parents receive a progress report on the skills/concepts on which we work all year to achieve mastery.  Daily reports are a quick means of communication about each child's day.  Our Distinguished Discoverers smoothly transition into Curious Creators as a result of all of their experiences. Questions & Answers What does the center provide for my child each day? Mats, sheets, blankets Age appropriate toys and learning materials and manipulatives Individualized learning experiences as outlined above Lots of love and affection What do I need to bring for my child? Diapers and wipes can be brought in bulk and stored in your child?s cubby Pull ups can be brought in bulk when the time comes for potty training A change of clothing will also be stored in the cubby, but please change them out with the seasons and sudden growth spurts Is my child allowed to have a bottle or pacifier? At this level all children should be absolutely weaned from bottles and pacifiers.  We begin a structured learning experience at this level and these items interfere.  Can my child bring personal items from home?  We discourage children from bringing in items from home unless for special projects because it is easy to get items confused in terms of to whom they belong.  If it is absolutely necessary to have the item we will work with the child to detach them from the item over time. Can I visit my child? Although we value parental involvement, at this age it may be very difficult for your child to see you and then you leave without them.  It is really an individual, case by case situation. Do the children take a nap? The schedule allots for a two hour rest period in which most all of our children will nap.  In the event that your child is a non-sleeper, he/she will be provided with quiet activities. Is there a set time for arrivals? Yes, your child needs to arrive no later than 9:00AM to begin their day.  We begin our structured learning time in the morning and it is kicked off with Circle Time at 9:00AM.  It is also at this time that we complete counts for snacks and lunch and adjust staffing as necessary.  If a late arrival is necessary, we simply ask that you call prior to 9:00AM so we include the child in all counts. Do the teachers assist with potty training?  Yes, if the parents express a desire for their child to be potty trained, it becomes a regular part of the child?s daily routine.  It is imperative that the parents support the children and teacher in this endeavor.  Pull ups and several changes of clothing are necessary. Does my child have to be potty trained before moving into Curious Creators? No, we realize that children develop at his/her own pace and will not hold a child back for this reason.  We, however, expect the concept of toileting to have been previously introduced and pull ups are a necessity. No diapers.