History of the School
SYC in conjunction with Saint Joseph College
Beach Park Expansion Special Facility Features & Program Initiatives
In 1997, Saint Joseph College leased the former Beach Park School from the town of West Hartford to expand and enhance The School for Young Children. The Beach Park facility provides the school opportunity for growth on several levels. The newly designed state-of-the-art early education center features seven classrooms, a conference room, a parent resource center, and a gym. The School also contains one observation room along with the technical capacity for education students to observe all other classrooms, thereby doubling as a site for teacher education and training.
Located
on five acres of woodlands, the natural environment of the Beach Park
site provides a whole new level of learning potential. Guided by the Audobon
Society and the Department of Environmental Protection, the School has
created outdoor nature trails to be woven throughout the adjacent woodlands.
These trails are open and accessible to preschool programs throughout
the Hartford and West Hartford regions.
In terms of space, the Beach Park expansion allowed for greater student enrollment, thereby enhancing the School's capacity to serve the needs of families throughout the Greater Hartford community. Previously the School accommodated 74 children on site each day. The new facility allows 165 children to partake in the quality programming. New slots are reserved as School Readiness slots. This program enables the college to more directly serve the needs of low- income families in the Greater Hartford community.
In addition to the numerous facility upgrades, The School for Young Children
will benefit significantly through enhanced programming. The school's
multigenerational learning component will also be enhanced, uniting senior
citizens mentors with the children in the center. In response to the need
for quality summer programming, The School for Young Children has a summer
camp program. The camp serves children ages 3-8 and uses the natural outdoor
environment in an expanded way.
The School was founded in 1936, at a time when early childhood education was nearly nonexistent. The School for Young Children quickly established itself as a leader in the field of child development. A 1946 Hartford Courant Magazine article noted:
"Saint Joseph College nursery school is considered to be one of the finest, best-equipped and most modern such projects in the country today."
(Hartford Courant Magazine, April 14, 1946)
Sister
Mercy Mary deLourdes initiated a pioneering program designed to nurture
the individuality of every child. The educational philosophy of the school
focused on "the physical, intellectual, emotional social, and spiritual
areas and on their interrelationship with the discoveries and changes
in the philosophic and natural worlds." It is this revolutionary
approach that moved the school to the professional forefront, thereby
establishing a history of impressive "firsts."
In addition to being one of the first preschools in the State of Connecticut, The School for Young Children ranks as one of the first laboratory sites in the nation designed for preschool teacher training. Most impressively, the School was one of the first to identify and cultivate the spirited individuality of the child. Sister deLourdes instilled within her colleagues the importance of self-reliance as a means to "secure harmony and wholeness" within every child.
The School has continued to be progressive. In 1989, at a time when less than 1% of the country's programs were accredited, The School for Young Children achieved national accreditation. Within a decade, the School was selected as a Model Lab School by the Connecticut State Department of Education. It was designated to demonstrate quality programming and to provide resources and technical assistance to School Readiness sites throughout the State. Rounding out this impressive list of accomplishments is the fact that Saint Joseph College is one of the only three colleges in the State to offer combined preschool and elementary school teacher certification.
The expansion to Beach Park School provides the School the opportunity to dramatically increase enrollment, extend its outreach capacity and to initiate a host of exciting programs.
The School For Young Children in Conjunction with Saint Joseph College
The
School for Young Children was founded under the auspices of Saint Joseph
College. It is imperative, then, that the School uphold the greater mission
of the college, and work to provide a liberal arts education while maintaining
a strong commitment to developing the potential of women. By working in
close accord with the College's Education Department, The School for Young
Children provides student teaching and classroom observation opportunities
for teachers in training. This teacher training component was significantly
enhanced by the move to Beach Park. Advanced technology supports increased
usage of the School for observation - making it a true laboratory for
early education students and professionals. Windowed classrooms equipped
with audio technology enable observation to occur without intrusion. Extra
space in each room accommodates student teaching internships.
The School for Young Children serves as an inspiration for those interested in early childhood education and development. The School boasts of a highly professional staff with 60% of the teachers already holding Master Degrees and others currently enrolled in graduate programs. This high level of professionalism, in conjunction with an intensive curriculum, inspires professionalism and instills leadership. Saint Joseph College students are observing the very best in preschool education.