A Day at OCP
Children thrive with routine and structure that helps them learn new processes and reinforce positive habits. Our team always follows a consistent schedule, so your child can greet the day prepared for our daily routine.
Arrival and Drop-Off
Our staff makes it important to always greet families when they arrive. We want your child to feel happy and secure when they start their day at OCP, but we understand that separation can be difficult. Continuing the wonderful care that you give at home is important to us. That’s why we do everything possible to make your child feel comfortable—so you both enjoy your day.
Learning at OCP: Guided by Curiosity, Grounded in Care
At Our Children’s Place, we believe that curiosity drives growth. Our teachers create engaging, skill-building experiences tailored to each age group, helping children explore the four core developmental areas through play, discovery, and connection.
We proudly use the Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies GOLD, a Quality Stars NY–recognized platform that supports both assessment and individualized development. These tools help us track progress, celebrate milestones, and ensure every child is growing in ways that are meaningful and measurable.
We honor each child’s unique pace and learning style. Our educators meet children where they are—providing personalized support while fostering a sense of community and shared learning. Whether working independently or as part of a group, every child is guided with compassion, creativity, and purpose.
Fueling Futures with CACFP:
Nutritious Meals for Growing Minds
At Our Children’s Place, nutrition is a key part of our mission to nurture the whole child. We serve breakfast, lunch, and snack daily, all prepared in our nut-free kitchen with fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and milk at every meal.
Our staff is trained in allergy awareness and anaphylaxis response, and we carefully accommodate doctor-confirmed dietary restrictions to ensure every child receives safe, nourishing meals.
We proudly participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which helps us provide balanced, seasonal meals and snacks to children in our care and after-school programs.
Every bite reflects our commitment to health, safety, and joyful learning
Exercising Outside
We believe it’s critical for children to get fresh air, sunshine and exercise to promote life-long health and growth. Therefore, each program receives 30 minutes of required playtime outside every day. If the weather absolutely won’t cooperate, we’ll substitute an indoor activity that meets our physical activity and development goals.
Rest Time
After lunch, we block off approximately 2 hours for rest or nap time each day. Taking a much-needed break from a busy day helps keep children calmer and recharge for the rest of their day. As they rest, their minds get a chance to process the new information they’ve learned throughout the morning.
EXploration Time
Our philosophy at OCP is children learn best with nurturing and supportive teachers who encourage them to explore their environment. During Exploration Time, our teachers and their groups immerse themselves in a range of fun activities that lead to new discoveries.
We use the Second Step Curriculum from toddler through school-age programs to deliver social and emotional curriculum. Second Step helps children learn to share, trade and play fair. They also learn language skills that help them communicate their needs, as well as how to positively handle strong emotions.
At Our Children’s Place, we believe every child’s growth deserves to be seen, supported, and celebrated. From the moment a child is enrolled, we begin building a personalized portfolio that captures developmental milestones, learning progress, and joyful moments throughout their time with us.
Our educators observe and document growth across all age groups, sharing regular updates with families to strengthen the home-school connection. We use Teaching Strategies GOLD, a Quality Stars NY-recognized platform, to track developmental progress and guide individualized instruction across all domains of learning.
As children enter preschool, we incorporate additional tools to support their readiness and growth:
- Brigance Early Childhood Screening, administered in fall and spring, helps identify academic strengths and areas for support. It also serves as a foundation for meaningful parent-teacher conferences.
- Ready to Read Assessments are used with Universal Pre-K students to monitor early literacy and kindergarten readiness.
These tools allow us to tailor learning experiences to each child while staying true to our vision: creating a culture where every child feels known, supported, and inspired to grow.
Dismissal and Good-Bye
At the end of the day, your child prepares to leave and gets ready for pick up. We ask that you always arrive on time for dismissal. At pick-up we hand out communication sheets to tell your family about your child’s progress that day.
Our teachers also post lesson plans and completed activities on a white board in the window of each room. We invite you to take a look before leaving to see what your child learned. Your child will be excited to share amazing new knowledge, and you can help reinforce what they learned throughout the day.
Parent Involvement
We love when parents get involved with our programs! We encourage parents or family members to participate in a variety of ways:
Reading Stories
Cooking
Going on Field Trips
Sharing Ethnic Heritage/Specialized Knowledge
And More!
To request to volunteer in the classroom, please contact one of our directors.
In an effort to keep tuition costs low while providing program enhancements, our programs will organize several fundraising events each year. We encourage parents to participate in the organization and implementation of these activities, and we value your support.
Once a month, we publish newsletters and share them with families via email. Newsletters include information about group meetings, special events, and how to support our Board of Directors and advisory committees. (Paper versions are available upon request.) We also keep parent bulletin boards in our centers to share up-to-date information.
Schedule a Tour
Our day is jam-packed full of positive skill-building! Since so many activities are hands-on, we think you’d enjoy seeing our teachers and students in action. Choose a time that works well for you and your child, and stop by for a visit.