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Where is Park Place Children’s Center located?
Park Place Children’s Center is located at 205 Batesville Road,
Simpsonville, SC 29681. This address is in the Five Forks area, near
the intersection of Batesville Road and Woodruff Road. The school
is located right next door to Parkside Pediatrics.
When did the school first open?
Monday, August 24, 2009.
What hours is the school open?
We open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m.
Is there a waiting list?
Yes, there is a waiting list for infants and toddlers. There are
a limited number of spaces for the three and four year old age group. We encourage you
to register now if you’d like to secure a space for your child.
Is there a fee to reserve a space for my child?
Yes, there is a one-time, non-refundable registration fee. The fee is
$350.00 per child (or a maximum of $500.00
per family, if enrolling siblings).
How many children will be in my child’s class?
Each infant classroom has a maximum of five babies and one
teacher. The toddler classrooms have 10 children and two
teachers. The two year old classrooms have 14 children and two
teachers. The three year old classrooms have 11 children and
one teacher. The four year old classrooms have 13 children and
one teacher. These numbers are not simply our student to teacher
ratios; they represent the maximum number of children who could be
present in that particular classroom.
Are meals provided?
Breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack are provided and
included in the monthly tuition.
What qualifications do the teachers have?
We hire teachers who have education and/or experience in early
childhood education. At a minimum, all teachers are required to
have completed ECD-101 through Greenville Tech (or a comparable
course at another university) within their first 12 months of
employment. All teachers also hold current certifications in
infant/child CPR and first aid. The S.C. Department of Social
Services requires that all childcare workers earn 10 hours of
continuing education credits each year in specified areas. On-going
training is provided to teachers, and they are encouraged
to further their education in this field. Additionally, members of
our staff reflect a personal commitment to providing the very
best care and education to children; they exhibit compassion,
respect and joy in working with children and their families; they
have excellent communication skills with both children and
adults; and they demonstrate professionalism while promoting a
sense of family among their students, parents and co-workers. Qualified teachers
who would like to apply for a position at Park Place Children's Center should download
an Employment Application.
What makes Park Place Children’s Center unique?
1. Our superior security system
2. The provision of consistent care through looping
3. The variety of classroom settings
4. The low teacher: student ratios combined with small class sizes
5. Our relationship with Parkside Pediatrics
How secure is the facility?
Keeping your child safe is one of our top concerns. When visiting
other facilities in this area (and in other cities), we found that
most childcare centers have a locked front door, but once someone is
in the lobby, they have full access to the building. We have taken
several steps to provide a more secure facility.
Parents, visitors and vendors are only able to enter our
building through the front door. Each parent uses a
personalized, four-digit code to come into the lobby where they are
greeted by our receptionist. Once parents have checked their
children in using our computerized attendance tracking system, they
use their four-digit code again to gain access to the rest of
the building. Anyone who has not been assigned a code will be
welcomed in by the receptionist yet will remain in the lobby until
we’ve determined who they are and why they are at the school.
Visitors and vendors will never be allowed beyond the lobby unless
they are escorted by a designated employee of Park Place Children’s
Center.
All exterior doors remain locked at all times, and an alarm
will sound if an exterior classroom door is opened. The doors
leading in from the playground areas also use the four-digit
code system, so teachers and/or parents have to use a code to
re-enter the building from the playground.
Security cameras record all activities throughout the entire
building and on the playgrounds. This service is not available
via the internet, but parents are welcomed to view the monitors
in the director or assistant director’s office upon request.
What is “looping?”
Looping (also called continuity of care, primary teaching or
sustained teaching) refers to the practice of keeping the same
caregivers/teachers with a group of children for two or more years.
There is an increasing interest in the concept of looping as experts
in the field see inherent advantages, not only for children, but for
the benefit of teachers and parents, as well. This practice
exemplifies the importance of bonding, attachment and security
between a child and their teacher, and enhances communication, trust
and the overall relationship between parents and teachers.
Considered an indicator of high quality care, looping is currently
practiced at only one other center in Greenville – the accredited
childcare program at the YWCA on Augusta Road.
At Park Place Children’s Center, the toddler teachers move up
with their class to the two year old class. This is especially
important for a child’s emotional well-being. At this point in their
lives, it’s common for children to experience heightened separation
anxiety. Although they move into a new classroom, they
have the comfort of having the same teacher and friends in their
class. This allows for a much smoother transition and allows
children to continue developing important skills without having to
first become comfortable with a new teacher. This is a period during
which communication skills blossom and potty training begins. Being
with a caregiver/teacher that the child knows and trusts
enhances the learning experiences in these and other key areas.
The following year, the children have a new teacher in their
three year old classroom, but this teacher loops up with the
class to four year old room the next year. This is primarily for an
academic reason. When it’s time to move up to the four year old
classroom, the teacher of the three year olds knows exactly where
each child is academically, socially and emotionally. She is aware of
what each child knows, how they learn, and what they need to
continue working on to be fully prepared for kindergarten. Having
the same teacher in the three and four year old rooms also
allows the teacher to expand on lessons learned in the three year old
room, and prevent duplicating or omitting learning areas and skills.
How big is the school?
Our 20,000 square foot building is nestled on a 3.4 acre
campus. Although the building itself is large, it has been designed
to be more “residential” than “commercial,” and our goal is for
children to feel at home in our school. At home, you would never
expect your child to be confined to just one room all day. We don’t
think that should happen at school, either. In addition to 20
spacious classrooms, the children (beginning in the toddler room)
spend time in the gym, library and enrichment center. They
also enjoy outdoor play time on the age-appropriate
playgrounds. The infants have the opportunity to ride around
the school on a KinderVan, and they have their own outdoor
courtyard.
Who are the founders of Park Place Children’s Center?
A graduate of Furman University, Cindy Weathers has worked in
Greenville since 1986 in marketing, communications, development and
public relations. She started her career in the PR department at St.
Francis Hospital, and went on to become the Vice President for
Marketing and Communications at the United Way of Greenville County.
She transitioned into the educational arena by serving as the
Director of Development at Shannon Forest Christian School for 10
years. In 2003, she became a co-founder and director of Palmetto
International Preparatory School in Greenville. At Palmetto Prep,
she developed experience and skills in pre-school organization and
operations and fulfilled marketing and human resource functions for
the school. With 21 years of experience in a variety of business and
educational settings, Cindy is uniquely qualified to develop a
premier educational facility. As a mother, step-mother and
grandmother, Cindy understands what parents are looking for. She
wants to provide the very best pre-school experience for children,
parents and teachers, and she has the faith, passion and ability to
turn her dream into reality.
Thomas Weathers holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Administration and a Master of Business
Administration degree from
Southern Wesleyan University. He previously served as a Senior
Credit Supervisor at adidas America, Inc. and a Senior
Credit Review Analyst for Synnex Corporation for eight years. Thomas
has management experience in both the computer and restaurant
industries. He developed, owned and operated a restaurant and a
computer store that provided sales and service. A veteran of the
United States Air Force, Thomas has excellent leadership and
technical skills. He manages the financial aspects of Park Place
Children’s Center.
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