FCCD Two's Program

The First Congregational Church of Darien

Two’s Program

Here at First Congregational Church of Darien, we believe that once a child reaches the age of two, the importance of introducing a combination of physical, social, spiritual, emotional and intellectual activities is critical. By creating a developmentally appropriate, art-centered curriculum for two-year-olds, children feel safe to explore their world uninhibited. They will also be able to use the arts to stimulate their imagination and thought processes. Each unit of study is comprehensive and organized thematically so that a child can connect his or her prior experiences to new information learned. We believe children process this information best in a small, intimate setting, the kind that exists in our two’s program at The First Congregational Church of Darien.

TWO DAY DROP-OFF

Two-year old children*

Meets Monday and Tuesday

9:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

* Children must be two (2) years old by December 31st for drop off program.

ONE DAY “MOMMY AND ME”

For 18 months through age 2

Meets Thursday only

9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.

In the 2012-2013 school year, First Congregational Church Two’s Program will have two, 2-day drop-off programs. Each class is two hours long and is focused on the arts. There will not be a Mommy and Me program for the upcoming school year. At this time, we are no longer accepting applications from the open public. We are, however, taking contact information if you are still interested to be added to the waitlist in case spaces become available at a later date. Church members and siblings of First Congregational Church Nursery School can still submit applications through January 13th.

Our two-year old program will be affiliated with the church; it will not be run by FCC Nursery School.

*Priority for First Congregational Church Two’s Program is given to members of the First Congregational Church.

Presently enrolled students in our Mommy and Me program are given priority for admission to the Drop-off Two’s program. Siblings and siblings of former students of FCCNS students are given priority enrollment directly following. Available spaces are then opened to the public in order that I receive them.

Children will also have time for free play, as well as story time, during the course of the day.

They will have access to a small, private play area outside, where they can explore nature artistically, as well as creatively.

We realize that most two-year old children have not been subject to a formal educational setting before. Therefore, we believe that keeping it simple is the best way to help them transition to this next stage of their lives.

Description: http://uccdarien.org/images/two_pr3.jpg

Where your children feel safe to explore their world uninhibited…

The head teacher and Director of the Two's program is Kate Nelson. The other teacher in the classroom is Missy Manna.

Kate Nelson is a certified, experienced teacher who knows the importance of a good early-childhood education. Her undergraduate work was in Human Development and Family Services, receiving a Bachelor’s degree from University of Connecticut, going on to earn her Master's degree in Childhood Education from Fordham University. Over the past ten years, she has worked with children of all ages, with a concentration on birth to age six. Her resume includes head teacher in the two/three-year old classroom at the Canaan Ridge School in Stamford and kindergarten teacher at the Family Center in Bristol, Connecticut. Prior to her arrival at First Congregational Church of Darien as the Church Sunday School Director, she taught in the New York public school system in the Bronx. She is a positive and energetic individual who is passionate about children and education. In the little spare time that she has, Kate devotes herself to her husband and daughter, volunteers for local charities, and attends as many sporting events as possible!

Missy Manna is our second teacher in the classroom. She graduated from The University of Rhode Island and then spent 5 years in the corporate sector in Manhattan. Wishing to pursue her passion for children and education, Missy left the corporate sector and enrolled in the Master’s program at the Michael Steinhardt School of Education at New York University. She worked very closely with young children as a teacher at Manhattan New School and Manhattan Country Day School in New York City. Missy’s accomplishments have been with creating and implementing early childhood programs on learning to read through play, multicultural curriculums for Kindergartners, “Kool 2 be Kind,” which promotes awareness against bullying and a Green curriculum to spread awareness to children on the advantages of living environmentally friendly. Missy is the mother of two children, Cameron 9 and Chloe 7 and devotes a lot of time nurturing and promoting their diverse interests.