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Boherbue Educare Centre provides an integrated community
based approach to childcare, catering for the needs and
aspirations of parents and children.
Boherbue Educare is a community based group whose aim is to
promote equality of opportunity, self development, social inclusion, and a
better community by enabling and empowering parents and by providing quality
education and care for children.
What we do:
Our key service
is the Pre-School, but we also run after-school activities and Camps for
Primary-aged children while school's out.
Who does the Pre-School cater
for?
The Pre-School caters for all children from 3 years to
Primary School age, including those with special or additional needs. If places
are limited, priority will be given to children in their last year before going
to National School, so that they have an opportunity to avail of our School
Readiness Programme.
How many children can attend?
The size of the facility and the fact that we have two trained
staff, means that we can take up to about seventeen children at the time. We
are almost booked to capacity at the moment (March 2004) and we have already
taken several bookings for September 2004. Twenty five pre-primary children
currently access the service.
Who delivers the programme?
We have employed two qualified staff to implement our programmes. They are
Kathleen O'Sullivan and Rita Singleton. In addition to their current training,
they have also received further training from our Early Childhood Consultant.
Can children of Special or Additional
Needs attend and benefit from the programme?
Children with special
needs benefit from the bustle and atmosphere of a mixed ability group. At
Boherbue Educare Centre they will have opportunities to play and acquire
language and social skills within their peer group from the local community.
Our environment, programme and resources reflect our belief that children with
special needs are welcomed, cared for and valued equally with other children.
How are the services run?
Boherbue Educare is a community project run on a voluntary basis
by the people of the locality. Paid Staff implement our various programmes and
we are in receipt of a Staffing Grant from the Equal Opportunities Childcare
Programme.
What kind of programme will be offered
at the Pre-School?
Boherbue Educare offers a quality,
developmentally appropriate programme, based on internationally accepted
principles of early education. The˜Learning-through-Activity" programme
aims to ensure that children are provided with a planned and structured
environment, which enables them to explore and play freely and creatively. At
Boherbue Educare Centre, we understand that play is the natural learning medium
of young children, and that it is in reality, preparation for life. Activities
will include:
- art (e.g. drawing, painting, collage and playdough)
- imaginative play
- book corner
- tactile play (e.g. sand and water)
- cognitive activities (e.g. jigsaw puzzles, construction
toys, eye hand co-ordination activities and simple group games)
- block play
- music and movement
- story-time
Each weeks activities are linked to an environmental theme
to broaden the childrens language and learning (e.g. my school, me, my family,
my home etc). An Interest Table draws attention to the current environmental
theme. The ˜Learning-through-Activity Programme" is suitable for children
from their 3rd birthday upwards.
What is the School Readiness Programme?
Our School Readiness Programme is offered to those children who
are attending a minimum of three days per week and who are in their final year
before attending Primary School. This is an interactive programme which gives
the child concrete and two-dimensional experience, exploring fundamental
concepts (e.g. tall & short, big & small, empty & full, counting
and sequencing). A new concept is introduced to the children every week which
is linked to the current environmental theme.
When does the Pre-School
operate?
The Pre-School Programme operates from 9.30am to 12.30pm
daily from Monday to Friday. The School will operate largely in line with the
Primary School Year.
Fees for Pre-School -
Sept 2003 / June 2004
- Two Days €15.00 (equivalent to €7.50 per
day)
- Three Days €22.00 (equivalent to €7.33 per
day)
- Four Days €28.00 (equivalent to €7.00 per
day)
- Five Days €35.00 (equivalent to €7.00 per day)
Fees are to be paid, in advance, on the first day of the
week your child attends the School. A deposit of €40 will be required at
the time of filling in the enrolment form.
The Future:
The aim of the
Educare Group is to secure capital funding from the Equal Opportunities
Childcare Programme to build a Community Childcare Centre. In the long term, we
hope to provide many more services to the community and care for children from
3 months to 14 years.
Contact Information:
Boherbue Educare Centre Ltd., The Village, Boherbue, Co. Cork.
Phone:
087 2949432
E-mail: boherbueeducare@eircom.net |
