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Licensing, Mission, Philosophy and Staff

• Licensing Statement

• Mission Statement
  
  
• Purpose and Philosophy
  
  
• Spiritual Purpose and Philosophy
  
  
• Staff

Licensing Statement
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Northminster Christian Preschool and Kindergarten is a state-licensed program open to children of all races, nationalities, and faiths. Our inspection records are available upon request for public viewing. We are licensed through the Arizona Department of Health Services, Daycare Licensing. They are located at 400 W. Congress, Suite 100, Tucson, Arizona. Their phone number is (520) 628-6540.

Mission Statement
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Northminster Christian Preschool and Kindergarten is committed to providing a Christ-centered educational environment where each child can learn and grow emotionally, physically, intellectually, socially, and spiritually.

Purpose and Philosophy
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The Preschool and Kindergarten is a service of Northminster Presbyterian Church and is an extension of Northminster's Christian Education Program. Our goal is to nurture young children in the love of Jesus Christ and to provide each child with a positive introduction to formal education. We believe a child's first school experience is important because it lays the foundation for all future educational experiences. Therefore, we provide an encouraging atmosphere conducive to individual growth and development.

We believe that each child is a unique gift of God. Our approach involves the whole child and recognizes that each one develops at his or her own rate. We strive to provide an environment that is safe, loving, and rich in opportunities for learning and growth through age appropriate, hands-on activities.

Spiritual Purpose and Philosophy
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Purpose: To minister to children so that they may develop positive attitudes about God, Jesus and themselves: that they would receive foundational teachings, so that, when they are developmentally ready, they can receive Jesus Christ as Savior. Our job is to plant the seeds so that children will bear spiritual fruit in God's timing.

• Children have spiritual needs. God warns that if children are not taught His ways, future generations will cease to follow His Word. (Judges 2:10-11; Psalm 78:1-8) (Children's Ministry Resource Bible, Developed by Child Evangelism Fellowship, p. 1469)
  
  
• The world is battling for our children with many anti-God approaches: drugs, alcohol, violence, abuse, humanism, false cults. We want to help equip children to live God-centered lives by helping develop the firm Christian foundation to sustain them through whatever life brings.
  
  
• We feel it is important that we provide a place where children are taught to succeed academically, socially, physically, but most of all spiritually.

Philosophy: “And all the children shall be taught of the Lord: and great shall be the peace of the children” (Isaiah 54:13)

• Children are avid learners.
  
  
• Authorities in child development say that there is no period in life during which a person learns more than in the three years immediately prior to entering school. The learning curve that occurs between the ages of 3 and 5 years is critical to a child's educational and spiritual development.
  
  
• What a child learns during these formative years becomes the foundation for all future learning.
  
  
• The Bible tells of several preschoolers who received careful training from godly adults that profoundly influenced their adult lives. They were well-grounded spiritually and were taught the Holy Scriptures from the time they were small (i.e. Moses, Samuel, Timothy).
  
  
• Perceptions dominate the young child's thinking. What he sees, hears, and otherwise experiences at a given moment influences him. (Smart, Mollie S. & Smart, Russell C., Children Development and Relationships, p. 206)
  
  
• Religious and philosophical concepts also develop through cognitive and social growth, guided by the type of concepts to which the child is exposed. (Smart & Smart, p. 382)

Staff
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The Preschool and Kindergarten staff will all be Christians dedicated to working with young children. The Kindergarten teacher will be certified by the State of Arizona to teach Kindergarten. All of the staff will participate in continuing education in the areas of childhood development, developmentally appropriate practice, as well as training in first aid and CPR. We will continue to maintain low teacher/student ratios.

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