Services
Parent/Infant Groups
Centennial offers weekly activity programs throughout the city for parents and their infants who have special needs. These programs are appropriate for children under the age of three.
The groups are designed to involve parents and their children in gross motor activities, sensory activities, play time with toys, snack and music experiences.
Information is provided each week on topics of interest to the parents. Specialized professionals, such as speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, attend at least once per session to talk to the parents and see the children.
The groups are planned and supervised by Centennial’s early childhood interventionists.
Our groups generally run for 8-10 weeks and have a fee of $50.00 per session.
For program dates, locations and more information, please contact Centennial’s Early Intervention Coordinator Beverley Davis, at 416-935-0200, ext. 246.
Therapy Services
More information about the therapy services soon to be published
Child Care Consultation Program
Centennial has two Special Needs Resource Consultants who support a group of childcare programs in Toronto. Our consultants provide support to the Early Childhood Educators in these centres, and help to ensure that all children, no matter what their need, can participate in the program.
- This support includes:
- Regular visits to programs
- Early Identification and Intervention
- Individual and Program Consultation
- Staff Training
- Program Adaptations and environmental assessment
- Service Coordination and Referral
This program is funded by Toronto Children’s Services as part of their Special Needs Resource Division and ‘Every Child Belongs’ Program.
For further information, contact Lucy Patterson at 416-935-0200 x 243 or Margaret Malina at Ext 248.
Kindergarten Program
Centennial’s specialized afternoon Kindergarten program for children 4 – 6 years of age features an adapted curriculum designed to meet the individual needs of the children.
The program runs September to June, Monday through Thursday from 1:15 – 3:30 p.m. Unlike the Preschool program, the Kindergarten does not provide transportation or a one-to-one volunteer service.
Children blossom in our unique environment which understands their needs and celebrates their strengths. Our low teacher/child ratio (2:5) and a focus on enhancing individual development provides each child with the opportunity to explore important concepts in a supportive classroom setting.
Fees
JK/SK Afternoon Program: $450.00 per month for the 2011-2012 School Year
* There is no transportation available for the JK/SK Program.
* Subsidies are available through Toronto Children’s Services – for further information, please refer to: http://www.toronto.ca/children
Kindergarten Calendar 2011-2012
First Day of School - Monday, September 12th
Thanksgiving – Monday, October 10th
PD Day – to be announced
Christmas Break – December 26, 2011 - January 6th, 2012 inclusive
School resumes January 9, 2012.
Family Day – Monday, February 20th, 2012
Mid-Winter Break – March 12 to March 16, 2012, inclusive.
Good Friday – April 6th, 2012
Easter Monday – April 9th, 2012
PD Day – to be announced
Victoria Day – Monday, May 21, 2012
Last day of school – Thursday June 14th, 2012
Make a Referral
Children can be placed on the Kindergarten Program’s waitlist by completing the below Kindergarten Application Form. If you have further questions about our Kindergarten Program, please contact our Centre Manager, Kim Clarke, at 416-935-0200, ext. 231.
Preschool Program
Children with special needs benefit from the routines and skills taught in a preschool program. Centennial’s Preschool Program is an integrated program that emphasizes individual programming in an enriched, structured and nurturing atmosphere. Children with special needs and those who are typically developing come together in an educational setting and benefit from the opportunity to learn from one another.
Children entering the program are between the ages of 2 1/2 and 4 years. The program runs weekday mornings from September to June and follows the holidays designated by the public school system. The preschool serves 32 children.
About 20% of the children who attend the preschool program are children who do not have special needs. The ‘typically developing’ children benefit from a curriculum which prepares them for Kindergarten in a nurturing and educational environment. They develop an appreciation for people’s differences and act as role models to the children who have special needs.
Children with special needs attending the preschool benefit from a one-to-one adult/child ratio. Each child has an individual program plan developed by their primary teacher and their parents in consultation with a physiotherapist, occupational therapist and speech/language pathologist. The program covers the developmental areas of cognition, communication, self help skills, social, and motor skills. Individual programs are updated regularly, and the goals are implemented every day by the classroom teachers and the child’s volunteer (an individual that works one-to-one with the child).
Curriculum
The preschool boasts a curriculum rich in the exploration of concepts relevant to the lives of young children. The children are introduced to changes that occur in their world as a result of the seasons, holidays, community events and different settings. They expand their understanding of themselves, their families, animals, transportation vehicles and childhood stories. They explore the concepts of colour, size, patterns, sequences, numbers, letters and shapes. The children have opportunities to explore movement and music in a daily music circle enhanced by piano and guitar accompaniment.
A Typical day in the Preschool Program
- 9:15 – 9:25 Arrival
- 9:25 – 9:50 Sensory Activity and Water Play
- 9:50 – 10:15 Gross Motor
- 10:15 – 10:30 Table toys one-on-one with a volunteer
- 10:30 – 10:40 Story Time
- 10:40 – 10:55 Snack Time
- 10:55 – 11:20 Diaper change, free play, tidy-up time
- 11:20 – 11:30 Music circle
- 11:30 – 11:45 Departure
Staff
The preschool staff members include five teachers with backgrounds in child development, early childhood education, elementary school education and special education. They have extensive experience, both personally and professionally, in working with children and their families. The preschool works in collaboration with a team of professionals, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language pathologists. They help each family to network and coordinate the appropriate services for their children. They also assist the families in accessing the necessary services and funding to maximize their child’s abilities. The teachers help parents explore future educational settings and work with them to assure a smooth transition into the school system. Centennial is committed to helping parents advocate on their child’s behalf and on behalf of other people who have special needs. Centennial’s Manager of Centre Operations, Kim Clarke, is responsible for the overall management of the Preschool Program. Kim can be reached at: 416-935-0200 x 231
Tuition Fees
Preschool Morning Program: Current fee – $550.00 per month, for the 2011-2012 school year
Applying for Subsidy
Subsidies are available through Toronto Children’s Services – for further information, please refer to: http://www.toronto.ca/children
Transportation
Transportation service is available for the preschool children. Since Centennial is only one of a limited number of specialized preschool programs in the city, our children come from all over Toronto. Without transportation, many families would have great difficulty getting their children to the centre.
Transportation is provided by six vans from Royal Taxi. There is no government funding for this service. In order to maintain the inclusive and equitable philosophy of our program, the Centennial Foundation helps to fund this expense for those unable to pay. Transportation costs have risen significantly over the last few years. Several years ago, it was necessary to implement a fee to cover some of the costs of transportation. The Centennial Foundation continues to subsidize the difference for those not able to pay the full cost.
Currently, the cost of transportation for each child is $450 per month. If families are not in a position to pay the full cost, please speak to Kim Clarke, the Centre Manager, to discuss further.
As well, there are other funding options available for families to assist with transportation costs such as:
• Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD) www.children.gov.on.ca
• Presidents Choice Charities www.presidentschoice.ca
• Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity www.jenniferashleigh.ca
• TTC Wheel Trans www.ttc.ca
Some families choose to arrange their own transportation for their children to get to Centennial. This is very helpful as it enables us to transport those children who have no other options.
Preschool Calendar 2011-2012
First Day of School - Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
Thanksgiving – Monday, October 10th, 2011
PD Day – to be announced
Christmas Break – December 26th, 2011 - January 6th, 2012 inclusive
School resumes January 9th, 2012
Family Day – Monday, February 20th, 2012
Mid-Winter Break – March 12th to March 16th, 2012, inclusive.
Good Friday – April 6th, 2012
Easter Monday – April 9th, 2012
PD Day – to be announced
Victoria Day – Monday, May 21st, 2012
Last day of school – Friday, June 15th, 2012
Make a Referral
Children can be placed on the Preschool Program’s waitlist by completing below Preschool Application Form. If you have further questions about our Preschool Program, please contact our Centre Manager, Kim Clarke, at 416-935-0200, ext. 231.
Early Intervention Program
The Early Intervention (EI) Program at Centennial is primarily an in-home service to children from birth up to five years. The EI Program (formerly called the Infant Development Program) is designed for infants and children who have a delay in two or more areas of development, and their families.
A diagnosis is not required in order to make a referral; referrals can be made by parents and caregivers, health-care providers and those working with the children. Parents must give consent if others refer on their behalf. There is no fee for this program.
This program is home-based or community-based, depending on the needs of the child. If a child attends an Early Years Centre, our Interventionists can consult to the staff. The Early Intervention Program provides a family-centered service encouraging positive parent/caregiver-child interactions while promoting the child’s optimal development. Referrals can be made by calling , Beverley Davis, Early Intervention Coordinator, 416- 935-0200, ext. 246.
Services
We help children with special needs begin to learn strategies which will help them to develop and function as independently as possible in society. Staff and families set goals through which these strategies will be achieved. All aspects of a child’s development are considered. We believe the goals are best accomplished through an individualized program. In our preschool this is enhanced with a one-to-one adult/child ratio and with the inclusion of normally developing children. We work directly with families to lend emotional support and to encourage the optimal development of each child. This is an on-going process in which the staff and the family learn from each other.
Early Intervention (EI) Program
Preschool Program
Kindergarten Program
Child Care Consultation Program
Therapy Services
Parent/Infant Groups