Infant and Toddler Program

Families in need of care for very young children (6 weeks to 3 years old) can enroll in our Infant/Toddler program located at the Community Education Center. Activities that match the developmental needs of the child are ongoing throughout the day. Infants and toddlers receive gentle care, nurturing and support as they explore and interact with caregivers, other children and playthings. Routines such as feeding, sleeping, and changing are a part of the daily routine and take place in a relaxed, age appropriate manner.

Registration and Tuition

Non-Refundable Registration Fee
$60 per child / $90 per family (when enrolling 2 or more children)

2023-2024 Infant and Toddler Weekly Tuition
*Children may be scheduled for a minimum of 2 full days or 3 half days and up to 5 full days a week. Tuition is charged weekly based on full or half day schedules and is due no later than Monday of the week of attendance.   

Parent Handbook

Registered families must download, print and return the signed Parent Handbook Acknowledgement below.  Please click on the link below to review the Parent Handbook and Acknowledgement.

• Parent Handbook
• Parent Handbook Acknowledgement

Nursery and Preschool Program

Three and four year old children are welcomed into inviting classrooms by experienced, caring teachers. The classroom environment provides learning opportunities throughout the day. Children interact with each other and teachers during free choice, small, and large group activities. Literacy and math skills are introduced and practiced in all activity areas including art, music, housekeeping, story time, and block play. Teachers use the Creative Curriculum and Michigan Department of Education Standards to guide their observations, assessments, and planning.  All programs are licensed and teachers are qualified by the State of Michigan to teach young children. Teachers and assistants participate in 16 hours of professional development each school year.

Age Requirements:
For the 2023-24 school year:

• Nursery - 3 years on or before September 1, 2023
• Preschool - 4 years on or before September 1, 2023 (or December 1 with waiver) 

Registration and Tuition

Non-Refundable Registration Fee

UCS Residents:  $65.00 per child/$90 per family
Non Residents:  $110 per child/$135 per family
Registration fee and last months tuition are due at registration. 

Tuition Payment Schedule:

Please download a copy of the Early Childhood Registration brochure for tuition rates, as they vary based on the number of days per week/hours per day. The first month tuition is due no later than September 1st. The remaining 7 payments are due the first of the month October through April. Tuition must be paid on time throughout the school year.

2023-2024 Preschool/Nursery Tuition

Full Day Preschool

Full Day Preschool (3 years to 5 years old) is available at twolocations in the school district (Duncan & Community Education Center). Children are welcomed into inviting classrooms by experienced, caring teachers. The classroom environment provides learning opportunities throughout the day. Children interact with each other and teachers during free choice, small and large group activities. Literacy and math skills are introduced and practiced in all activity areas, including art, music, housekeeping, story time and block play. Teachers use Creative Curriculum and Michigan Department of Education Standards to guide their observations, assessments and planning.

Registration and Tuition

Non-Refundable Registration Fee
$60 per child / $90 per family (when enrolling 2 or more children)

2023-2024 Full Day Preschool Weekly Tuition
*Children may be scheduled for a minimum of 2 full days or 3 half days and up to 5 full days a week. Tuition is charged weekly based on full or half day schedules and is due no later than Monday of the week of attendance.   

Locations

Parent Handbook

Registered families must download, print and return the signed Parent Handbook Acknowledgement below.  Please click on the link below to review the Parent Handbook and Acknowledgement.

• Parent Handbook
• Parent Handbook Acknowledgement

Montessori Nursery & Preschool

Montessori is an alternative program offered for preschool and Kindergarten age children. The curriculum is a blend of the Montessori philosophy and the UCS Learning Standards. Maria Montessori’s timeless philosophy guides children’s learning in a nurturing environment. Children learn by manipulating materials, which develop meaningful practical skills and academic knowledge.  Creativity, respect, reasonable behavior, self-discipline, and self-motivation are encouraged. Classes are multi-age. It is important to note that participation in this program does not guarantee future placement at Messmore Elementary School.

Age Requirements:
For the 2023-24 school year:

• Nursery - 3 years on or before September 1, 2023
• Preschool - 4 years on or before September 1, 2023 (or December 1 with waiver) 
  Children must be independently toilet trained without pull-ups or diapers. 

Registration, Tuition, Schedule

Non-Refundable Registration Fee:
$105

Tuition:
$395 per month

The last month is due at registration and the first month is due before September 1st.   The remaining 7 payments are due by the 1st of the month, October - April. Tuition must be paid to date throughout the school year. There is no charge for Kindergarten students.
(Late fee - $25, Credit Card declines - $5) 

Schedule:
Monday-Friday

Location

For more information on the Great Start Readiness Program please click here

Creative Curriculum Objectives for Development and Learning

All UCS Early Childhood programs utilize the Teaching Strategies', Creative Curriculum®,   a comprehensive, research-based curriculum that features exploration and discovery as a way of learning.  The components of The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool were designed specifically to provide in-depth support for all children and for the unique demands of each day in a preschool classroom.  At the core of this curriculum, are 38 research based objectives for development and learning that focus on major areas of development including:  social-emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy, mathematics, science and technology, social studies, the arts and English language acquisition.  


SOCIAL–EMOTIONAL
1. Regulates own emotions and behaviors
a. Manages feelings
b. Follows limits and expectations
c. Takes care of own needs appropriately
2. Establishes and sustains positive relationships
a. Forms relationships with adults
b. Responds to emotional cues
c. Interacts with peers
d. Makes friends
3. Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations
a. Balances needs and rights of self and others
b. Solves social problems

PHYSICAL
4. Demonstrates traveling skills
5. Demonstrates balancing skills
6. Demonstrates gross-motor manipulative skills
7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination
a. Uses fingers and hands
b. Uses writing and drawing tools

LANGUAGE
8. Listens to and understands increasingly complex language
a. Comprehends language
b. Follows directions
9. Uses language to express thoughts and needs
a. Uses an expanding expressive vocabulary
b. Speaks clearly
c. Uses conventional grammar
d. Tells about another time or place
10. Uses appropriate conversational and other communication skills
a. Engages in conversations
b. Uses social rules of language

COGNITIVE
11. Demonstrates positive approaches to learning
a. Attends and engages
b. Persists
c. Solves problems
d. Shows curiosity and motivation
e. Shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking
12. Remembers and connects experiences
a. Recognizes and recalls
b. Makes connections
13. Uses classification skills
14. Uses symbols and images to represent something not present
a. Thinks symbolically
b. Engages in sociodramatic play

LITERACY
15. Demonstrates phonological awareness, phonics skills, and word recognition
a. Notices and discriminates rhyme
b. Notices and discriminates alliteration
c. Notices and discriminates discrete units of sound
d. Applies phonics rules and knowledge of word structure to decode text
16. Demonstrates knowledge of the alphabet
a. Identifies and names letters
b. Identifies letter-sound correspondences
17. Demonstrates knowledge of print and its uses
a. Uses and appreciates books and other texts
b. Uses print concepts
18. Comprehends and responds to books and other texts
a. Interacts during reading experiences, book conversations, and text reflections
b. Uses emergent reading skills
c. Retells stories and recounts details from informational texts
d. Uses context clues to read and comprehend texts
e. Reads fluently
19. Demonstrates writing skills
a. Writes name
b. Writes to convey meaning
c. Writes using conventions

MATHEMATICS
20. Uses number concepts and operations
a. Counts
b. Quantifies
c. Connects numerals with their quantities
d. Understands and uses place value and base ten
e. Applies properties of mathematical operations and relationships
f. Applies number combinations and mental number strategies in mathematical operations
21. Explores and describes spatial relationships and shapes
a. Understands spatial relationships
b. Understands shapes
22. Compares and measures
a. Measures objects
b. Measures time and money
c. Represents and analyzes data
23. Demonstrates knowledge of patterns

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
24. Uses scientific inquiry skills
25. Demonstrates knowledge of the characteristics of living things
26. Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials
27. Demonstrates knowledge of Earth’s environment
28. Uses tools and other technology to perform tasks

SOCIAL STUDIES
29. Demonstrates knowledge about self
30. Shows basic understanding of people and how they live
31. Explores change related to familiar people or places
32. Demonstrates simple geographic knowledge

THE ARTS
33. Explores the visual arts
34. Explores musical concepts and expression
35. Explores dance and movement concepts
36. Explores drama through actions and language

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
37. Demonstrates progress in listening to and understanding English
38. Demonstrates progress in speaking English