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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-11-10, Page 284 r 1.7 PAGE 8A--=GODERICH S1GNAL-STAR,'I'HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, I97 Municipal Day Nursery is a child's -delight BY JOANNE WALTERS A child's delight. That's what'two converted rooms in the old Separate School on Caledonia Terrace, in Goderich look like. For children with energy to spare, there's the Active Room with its little tram- poline, sand box, slide, blocks to be built shoulder high, a two seated rocker, a miniature barnyard, a doll house and a multitude of toys. For quiet and more studious type children, there's the Creative Room with puzzles. play dough, paints and paper. These two rooms arc part of Goderich's 'Municipal Day Nursery which has been in operation for several years now as a joint venture bet- ween the Town of Goderich and the Province of Ontario. Children, age three to five years, can attend the day nursery where they flow from activity to activity. They are encouraged to do as much as .they can for themselves and to learn "how things work" Of course, there are a few rules and supervisor- Carol Egener says the kids catch on fast. If they spill sand out of the sand box on corn out of the toy barnyard, they must sweep it up. "They must remove their shoes before .jumping on the trampoline,_ The children are en- couraged to dress themselves as much as possible for outside. Depending on the weather, the children spend at least a half hour outdoors each day while attending the day nursery. At snack. time there is orange juice and crackers with peanut butter. The children must each wash their own hands before eating. They must pour their own juice, wipe up their own spills, say excuse me when they leave the table and throw their paper cups in the garbage. The only other time the children have to conform is at circle time. At this time the children sit in a circle with one of their supervisors to sing. read, listen tomusic or practise fire drills. The length of the circle time, says Mrs. Egener, depehds on the mood of the children. CHOICES Mrs. Egener feels that itis important for pre-schoolers' to he able to make choices. Without meaning to sound too philosophical, she says, the day nursery prepares the children for life by making them feel. good about themselves. While . not necessarily a step to prepare the children for kindergarten, those who attend the day nursery to learn co-operation and how toget along with other children which will be required of them? when en- tering school. Both Mrs, Egener and her assistant Mary Ann Shanahan - have their Bachelor of Arts degrees. Mrs. Egener is presently taking a child psychology course offered at Waterloo University. She also took a course at Humber College dealing with handicapped children. The nursery is open to such children but at present only has one. The nursery originally started as a co-operative nursery joining with the Princess Anne nursery., and eventually evolving into the Municipal Day Nursery. The nursery is licenced and in- spected by the province. The province also picks up part of the nursery's deficit. The town rents its facilities for the nursery from the Separate School Board. The Municipal Day Nursery Committee holds public meetings on the fourth Tuesday in every month. Committee chairman is Pat Hamilton and the council representative is Elsa Hayn Thdoe M. unicipal Day Nur- present time has 93 children enrolled in it. These children are divided over four sessions. The four ,different sessions meet Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings; Monday, Wed- nesday and Friday af- ternoons; Tuesday and Thursday mornings; and Tuesday and Thursday af- ternoons. The hours are 9 to I 1 :30 a. m. and 1 to 3:30 p.m. WAITING There is a waiting list. Mrs. Egener says there is a limit of 25 children per class but sometimes, depending on the children, this number is Jess, For four months of the two day per week sessions, the cost would be as low as $6O or as high as $75. For four months of the three day per week sessions, costs could be $90 or $112.50. Helping mothers, those mothers who come into the nursery to help Mrs. Egener and Mrs. Shanahan supervise the children, get cheaper rates. Non participating mothers pay more. Mrs. Hamilton says sometimes provisions can he made for those children whose parents may be unable to afford to send their children to the Municip!l Day Nursery, There may be a few tears from a child the first day his mother leaves him at the nursery. But the tears soon turn to wide eyed stares at all the toys and activity and eventually to participation, involvement and smiles at the coaxing of the supervisors and the other children. New friends are made and a few things are learned' in the process. 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