McKernan Childcare Society
We are proud to be a not-for-profit, parent-run, registered charitable organization. MCCS was organized by a group of parent volunteers whose children attended McKernan School. The centre opened in September of 1987, and has been meeting the needs of families ever since. We consider ourselves to be a valued member of the McKernan community.
We are an accredited child care program that is committed to providing high quality care for school age children. We actively promote positive social skills and appropriate conflict resolution skills. We provide a secure place for children to develop independence and individuality through play based learning. We aim to build working partnerships with parents, staff, the children and the community.
Our goal at MCCS is to provide quality care for your child and to provide them with opportunities to play, learn and relax. We will work with parents and families as a team to ensure your child’s needs are being met. We will also work with the school if situations arise in which the child will benefit from our joint efforts.
MCCS Program Policy
Play is serious stuff to a child. A child’s physical, social, cognitive, emotional and creative needs can be met through a program that is play-based. MCCS offers a recreation-oriented program to provide a fun and enjoyable experience. It is very important to us that the program meets the continuous and changing needs of each child; to promote individual growth in areas of self-reliance, responsibility and respect. We promote self-esteem and self-respect as well as encourage appropriate and acceptable behaviours.
We are always open to the children’s ideas and suggestions. We strive to be a child driven centre and our staff work closely with the children to include their current interests and ideas to enhance our programs. We promote learning through play and plan for project based activities throughout the year. We also include enhanced programming when possible. These are activities or programs that go beyond standard daily programming; for example: special guest presenters and non-school day field trips.
We strive to show the diversity of our community in our programming, toys and equipment. We have a wide variety of games and toys, blocks, interest centers, dramatic play props, crafts supplies and much more. We also have scheduled activities such as skating, outdoor play, special interest clubs and various special events.
MCCS is divided into two rooms. Each room provides age appropriate equipment, toys and activities.
ROOM AGE MINIMUM RATIOS
Kids Down Under (KDU) Grades Kinder-1 1:15 kinder
1:15 OSC children
Kids in the Hall (KITH) Grades 2-6 1:15 children
The staff at McKernan Child Care Society is committed to providing all the children in our program with excellent care. Every staff member meets or exceeds the requirements set out by the Province of Alberta, which includes mandatory security clearances, provincially regulated child care certification, and first-aid certification. Our staff come with a variety of interests, education and experiences that they bring to MCCS daily.
OUTSIDE DAYS
MCCS has a focus on providing more unstructured outside play for children as consistently as we can. On top of our optional outside playtime we offer every afternoon, we endeavored to offer “Outside Days” each month. Snack will be served outside, optional crafts and activities will be offered, along with free play for the kids!
Our outside days will be offered twice a month on pre-determined days. We will always let parents know what the upcoming dates will be in our monthly newsletters, and we will post a notice on our front door a few days prior to the outside day. Please ensure children are dressed appropriately for the weather. Our outside days will happen rain, snow, or shine. At the moment, we will only cancel an outside day if the temperatures fall below -20C with wind chill, or there is extremely adverse weather like hail or thunder storm.
Play is fundamental to child development. At MCCS, we believe that the children’s job once they get here is to play. It is through unstructured play that truly teaches them to direct their own activities, find and pursue their passions, and learn to navigate their own worlds. There are numerous benefits of outdoor play: it allows children to explore their environment, develop muscle strength and coordination, and gain self-confidence. Outdoor play also naturally promotes physical activity as children are given the chance to run, swing, jump, and to be out in the fresh air.
We are proud to be a not-for-profit, parent-run, registered charitable organization. MCCS was organized by a group of parent volunteers whose children attended McKernan School. The centre opened in September of 1987, and has been meeting the needs of families ever since. We consider ourselves to be a valued member of the McKernan community.
We are an accredited child care program that is committed to providing high quality care for school age children. We actively promote positive social skills and appropriate conflict resolution skills. We provide a secure place for children to develop independence and individuality through play based learning. We aim to build working partnerships with parents, staff, the children and the community.
Our goal at MCCS is to provide quality care for your child and to provide them with opportunities to play, learn and relax. We will work with parents and families as a team to ensure your child’s needs are being met. We will also work with the school if situations arise in which the child will benefit from our joint efforts.
MCCS Program Policy
Play is serious stuff to a child. A child’s physical, social, cognitive, emotional and creative needs can be met through a program that is play-based. MCCS offers a recreation-oriented program to provide a fun and enjoyable experience. It is very important to us that the program meets the continuous and changing needs of each child; to promote individual growth in areas of self-reliance, responsibility and respect. We promote self-esteem and self-respect as well as encourage appropriate and acceptable behaviours.
We are always open to the children’s ideas and suggestions. We strive to be a child driven centre and our staff work closely with the children to include their current interests and ideas to enhance our programs. We promote learning through play and plan for project based activities throughout the year. We also include enhanced programming when possible. These are activities or programs that go beyond standard daily programming; for example: special guest presenters and non-school day field trips.
We strive to show the diversity of our community in our programming, toys and equipment. We have a wide variety of games and toys, blocks, interest centers, dramatic play props, crafts supplies and much more. We also have scheduled activities such as skating, outdoor play, special interest clubs and various special events.
MCCS is divided into two rooms. Each room provides age appropriate equipment, toys and activities.
ROOM AGE MINIMUM RATIOS
Kids Down Under (KDU) Grades Kinder-1 1:15 kinder
1:15 OSC children
Kids in the Hall (KITH) Grades 2-6 1:15 children
The staff at McKernan Child Care Society is committed to providing all the children in our program with excellent care. Every staff member meets or exceeds the requirements set out by the Province of Alberta, which includes mandatory security clearances, provincially regulated child care certification, and first-aid certification. Our staff come with a variety of interests, education and experiences that they bring to MCCS daily.
OUTSIDE DAYS
MCCS has a focus on providing more unstructured outside play for children as consistently as we can. On top of our optional outside playtime we offer every afternoon, we endeavored to offer “Outside Days” each month. Snack will be served outside, optional crafts and activities will be offered, along with free play for the kids!
Our outside days will be offered twice a month on pre-determined days. We will always let parents know what the upcoming dates will be in our monthly newsletters, and we will post a notice on our front door a few days prior to the outside day. Please ensure children are dressed appropriately for the weather. Our outside days will happen rain, snow, or shine. At the moment, we will only cancel an outside day if the temperatures fall below -20C with wind chill, or there is extremely adverse weather like hail or thunder storm.
Play is fundamental to child development. At MCCS, we believe that the children’s job once they get here is to play. It is through unstructured play that truly teaches them to direct their own activities, find and pursue their passions, and learn to navigate their own worlds. There are numerous benefits of outdoor play: it allows children to explore their environment, develop muscle strength and coordination, and gain self-confidence. Outdoor play also naturally promotes physical activity as children are given the chance to run, swing, jump, and to be out in the fresh air.