Program Summary
Thank you for your interest in Encompass Learning Centre – 3 to 5 program! The following information will provide some insight for you and your family to decide if Encompass is the right fit for your child.
Please read carefully and forward any other questions to the manager via e-mail or phone call. Questions regarding payment of fees please forward to the Assistant Director via e-mail.
Contact Information
243/259 – 4750 Rutherford Road (Nanaimo North Town Centre)
Nanaimo, BC
V9T 4K6
250.585.8868
Extension 1 – Room 1
Extension 2 – Room 2
Extension 3 – Room 3
Extension 4 – Manager’s Desk
Messages can be left on all extension numbers.
Management: mica.ece@gmail.com
Director/Assistant Director: encompasslearn@gmail.com
Hours of Operation
Monday to Friday
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed all statutory holidays.
One week summer, spring & winter closures.
The dates will be announced with ample notice.
Please note: fees are due in full for all closures.
Fees
- Children aged 30 – 36 months
- Full Time: $410 per month
- Part Time: $20.50 per day
- Children aged 3 – 5 years
- Full Time: $570 per month
- Part Time: $28.50 per day
- Fees are paid via e-transfer to encompasslearn@gmail.com no later than the first of each month.
The Basics
Encompass is a licensed group childcare centre. Currently we are running two classrooms: The Willow Room & The Arbutus Room. There are 8 children per classroom with one lead ECE and one assistant.
Staff work a 4-day work week at Encompass. Your lead teacher will be there from open to close on their shift days. There will be one day per week where your lead teacher will be off and is replaced by the manager for the day. This gives the manager insight into how things are running in both rooms, while also maintaining relationships with children and parents alike.
We ask that all children have a pair of inside shoes which will stay at the centre. Children must have shoes on in the event of evacuation due to emergency. Because we are located in a public space there is frequent pedestrian traffic outside and we need to be prepared for unpredictable hazards.
Upon enrolling with Encompass, you agree to participate in the morning routine with your child. This includes being present while they: change their shoes to come inside, hang up their coat/backpack, and put their lunch into their cubby. Also – don’t forget to sign in!
Our Philosophy Statement
Our program, in partnership with families, staff and the community, aims to provide high quality early childhood experiences which enhance the lives of young children in an integrated, emotionally supportive and educational environment. With a focus on nature-based learning, open-ended art and learning through play and song, we develop a consistently emerging curriculum inspired by child-lead interests and individual needs.
Safe bodies, safe feelings, safe classroom. We recognize the needs and rights of children to make choices and decisions that empower them. Opportunities for children to play an active role in their lives and learning are offered at large, within the boundary that it does not impact the safety of their own or others’ bodies and feelings, or of the environment itself. These expectations reflect the real world and are logical and explainable, helping children to develop their own understanding to promote an internalized desire to make safe choices.
Daily Schedule
- 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Drop off & Free play
- 9:15 AM – 9:45 AM Circle Time
- 9:45 AM – 10:15 AM Morning Snack
- 10:15 AM – 12:15 PM Outside Time
- 12:15 PM – 12:45 PM Lunch
- 12:45 PM – 1:00 PM Story Time
- 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Nap & Quiet Time
- 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Afternoon Snack
- 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM Free play, Outside Time or Group Activity
Please note that all children must be dropped off by 9:00 AM.
At this time, Teachers take their numbers for the day and depending how many children are attending, we may have sent staff to do extra work outside the classroom or gave them the day-off if they wish. Additionally, children succeed best with having some time to settle into the classroom and engage in unstructured free play.
If you are going to be arriving after 9:00 AM (even within 5 minutes) you need to call your respective classroom and let them know. If you do not, there is a chance you will be turned away that day upon arrival.
Outside Time
Please be advised that Encompass goes outside daily, rain or shine. A lot of the time we go for a walk and leave the property to visit one of 4 natural and fun locations nearby. Walks can range from 15 – 30 minutes one way. Newer children will be placed next to adults on our walking rope. We are always wary to note the stamina of our younger kiddos and ensure they are comfortable and we can work them up to successful long walks at their own pace. This might look like periods of holding a teacher’s hand, engagement and encouragement, or taking short breaks with the group along the way. Please note we also go on field trips regularly and ride the city bus!
Food & Drink Policy
We are a water only centre. Please do not send juice or milk to the school. Children are encouraged to drink plenty of water and do so frequently alongside their peers.
We have a no chips, chocolate or candy policy. This is specific to what you would find in the junk food aisle at a grocery store, as we understand that many snacks marketed to children tend to come with high sugar contents – such as a chocolate covered granola bar. Although we would accept this lunch item, we still encourage a well-balanced lunch of fruits, veggies, proteins, nuts and grains – as free from processed foods as possible. The research on the impact of food colouring and sugar on the child mind is astounding. Avoiding these foods will help your child to focus and feel more confident at school.
Tours
Tours will be booked on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and some Fridays from 8:30 AM until 9:45 AM. Please bring your child with you! It will be free play time and upon arriving you will meet the manager and proceed through a Parent Tour checklist with them. Circle will commence at 9:15 AM and we encourage you and your child to join in. Feel free to bring some food and water and stay for morning snack. We do ask that Parent Tours are completed no later than 10:15 AM, as the outside transition begins then and it is a very busy time.
What’s next?
If you are happy with the tour, teachers and learning environment and we are able to accommodate the needs of your child, the manager will send you with a registration package and parent handbook outlining all of our policies, procedures and philosophy in greater detail. There is a $100 registration fee which will hold your child’s spot until their start date arrives.
Stay connected – follow us on Facebook!
If you’d like to see glimpses of our daily indoor and outdoor activities, feel free to follow our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/encompasslearn.
Or scan the QR code.
