The Friendship Center is a year-round early learning program for young children. Our goal is to foster the development of each child socially, emotionally and academically. We want children to have fun and enjoy their experiences here. As educators, we know that learning is fun and exciting when we do our jobs well. We are always looking to provide supplement our extensive list of programs (see below) with new ideas.
Our art program encourages art appreciation through hands-on activities that reflect the “process art” theory, an exploratory process of teaching rather than producing a product from patterns or pre-drawn forms.
The Friendship Center operates on Christian principles. Stories from the Bible will be introduced periodically to reinforce the importance of moral and ethical values. We use these teachings and resources in ways that are both developmentally appropriate for young children and that promote tolerance and good will towards persons of all backgrounds and beliefs. Prayers are said before mealtimes.
Our Center uses computers and smart boards at all levels to enhance cognitive skills. The children learn to operate language and math programs, as well as to use fantasy and adventure programs for play.
Dance is offered at the Friendship Center for an additional fee and is held once a week.
Seasonal field trips for both enjoyment and educational purposes are planned throughout the year. The children and staff are transported by a licensed and fully insured local bus company.
Since our very beginning, and with thanks to our intergenerational program with Heath Village, the Friendship Center has been fortunate to be able to offer a foreign language program to our Pre-K students. Most recently, our students have been learning German.
The children have monthly scheduled dates to visit the Clarence Sickles Health Care Center and Mayflower House (Heath Village’s Residential Health Care Facility). Children benefit from these visits as they develop increased social skills toward adults and seniors.
The goal of the music program is to encourage music appreciation. A retired senior plays the piano once a week for “group music.” The teachers will provide music daily as part of their scheduled activities.
The Friendship Center children can take walks around Heath Village Retirement Community’s 100+acre campus (the adjacent retirement community) and along their nature trails. Nature walks to observe the seasonal changes are conducted periodically by senior residents of Heath Village.
Friendship Center students in our Pre-K classes are each assigned a Heath Village Retirement Community resident pen pal. This award-winning program encourages frequent correspondence between the senior and their pen pal. They hold monthly activities and enjoy special events such as September’s Get Acquainted Party, October’s Halloween Party, a November Thanksgiving Feast etc.
Each spring, our Pre-K students meet with Heath Village seniors at the Retirement Community’s state-of-the-art wood shop. Together the seniors and the students build a project. In addition to sharing with them their love of woodworking, the residents teach the students important lessons about tools and tool safety.