FHSU Tiger Tots Preschool Center
FHSU Tiger Tots Preschool Center offers an integrated preschool and childcare program. Our goal is to create a secure, encouraging environment. We focus on advancing each child's social, physical, intellectual, and emotional development.
MISSION
We cultivate a nurturing setting where children develop creativity, self-reliance, and accountability. Our staff delivers a diverse, developmentally appropriate curriculum.
Our learning environment develops essential skills and knowledge in young children. We use caring, expert caregivers and developmentally suitable curricula. We utilize the Kansas Early Learning Standards. These standards help our providers and teachers design activities, select curricula, and foster partnerships with children and families.
VALUES AND BELIEFS
Our values emphasize play and structured activities. These are informed by research and experience. These experiences build children's health and well-being. They also build necessary skills for school success.
GOALS
- We provide high-quality preschool and childcare services to Fort Hays State University students, Fort Hays Tech | North Central students, and FHSU faculty and staff with young children.
- We maintain a facility based on the belief that all children deserve respect and empathy. Each child is unique, with strengths and weaknesses. Growth in social, emotional, and intellectual areas happens when children observe positive adult behavior, explore their world, and interact with peers.
- We create child-focused experiences aligned with early learning standards and meet individual children's needs.
- We recognize the value of cultural heritage and family in every child's life. Home plays the most critical role in development. By collaborating with parents, we help children reach their full potential.
- We create a safe environment and set clear, consistent boundaries and guidelines for acceptable behavior.
- We establish a daily routine that prioritizes play. Play is a child's "work." It fosters problem-solving, self-concept, and creativity.
- We prepare FHSU Teacher Education candidates to become effective decision-makers and thoughtful teachers by offering hands-on experiences with young children. We empower candidates to create activities that enable children to learn through play and active, hands-on learning.
At Tiger Tots, children interact with peers in both teacher-directed and child-directed settings. The daily schedule includes playtime, group time, meals, rest, and learning centers. During playtime, children accomplish the following:
- Share and take turns
- Listen to others
- Work independently and cooperatively.
- Develop feelings of success and security.
- Express thoughts and ideas
- Explore and expand cognitive, physical, social, and literacy skills.
- Learn new vocabulary and communication skills.
- Decrease stress through learning self-regulation and coping skills.
Our program is child-centered. We believe children thrive in a stimulating, safe, and nurturing environment. We encourage each child's curiosity and love for learning. Group and center time include activities based on our emergent literacy curriculum. Activities include reading literature, fingerplays, nursery rhymes, pre-reading and writing practice, and language development. Pre-math skills are also included. Other activities are art, music, motor skill development, games, science, cooking, and physical development. We use monthly themes focused on the learning needs of enrolled children.
We base all daily activities on the Kansas Early Learning Standards, building each child's readiness for academic success and school.
It is our mission to:
- Build self-esteem
- Encourage socialization skills
- Increase time on task.
- Develop vocabulary
- Develop auditory listening skills.
- Improve coordination
- Increase awareness of patterns and categorize math concepts.
- Introduce new concepts and ideas.
Our curriculum includes the eight domains of child development and learning:
- Approaches to Learning
- Physical Development
- Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Literacy
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
- Creative Arts
We devote a portion of each day to child-initiated play throughout the classroom. Children always have access to materials for creative expression and experiences. We prioritize outdoor play and learning, and children play outside daily (weather permitting).
HEALTH AND NUTRITION STANDARDS
We offer meals through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). CACFP supports children's wellness, health, and development by providing nutritious foods. Our goal is to instill healthy habits in young children. These habits serve as a foundation for healthy choices in life. We follow meal patterns set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- We include five required components in lunch: milk, a bread or grain product, a meat or meat alternative, one serving of fruit, and one serving of vegetables.
- We provide snacks from the following groups: milk, fruits, vegetables, bread or grains, or meat or meat alternatives.
We create a relaxing atmosphere for rest time each afternoon.