Reaching Our Goal
The number one goal for The Learning Tree is to provide the highest quality child care to every single family we serve. With that in mind, we are thrilled to provide you with the Top 11 list of things we do best at The Learning Tree. 

1	Safety: We know that concern for the safety of your child tops your list of things to consider when selecting a child care center. The Learning Tree has a state-of-the-art security system and strict identification procedures to ensure that your child is protected. All of our head teachers are certified in first aid and child CPR. When outside the classroom, on the playground or on a field trip, teachers carry cell phones and first aid kits. Each classroom also uses “Name to Face Cards”. These cards contain each child’s name, picture and allergy information. This ensures that as the children go from place to place throughout the center it is guaranteed that all children are accounted for. Of course, prevention is key so our classrooms and playgrounds are designed to be safe for your youngster to run and play.
2	Transportation: Do you have a preschooler and a 2nd grader? Don’t waste your precious family time running all over town to drop off and pick up. Make one stop in the morning and leave both kids with us! We bus school-age children to and from local schools, public and private, for our Before-and-After program. Our buses are inspected yearly by a licensed State of Michigan Inspector and are equipped with fire extinguishers, flares, and first aid kits. All of our drivers have chauffer’s licenses. Following the State of Michigan’s Booster Seat Law, children that are younger than 8 years of age who are not yet over 4’ 9” will be provided with a booster seat by The Learning Tree while riding in our vehicles.
3	Health: At The Learning Tree, we serve healthy, nutritious breakfasts, lunches, and snacks as part of the regular tuition rate. Your child will never eat anything fried or reheated. Fruits and vegetables don’t come in a can at our center! Menus are planned by our experienced and trained chef. Menus are posted in the classroom each week and are available to take home. In addition, we’re thrilled to be the only center in the tri-county area that has an exercise program. TREErific Fitness is designed to encourage movement while having fun too.
4	Consistency: We do our best to reduce the number of unfamiliar faces by assigning one head teacher to every classroom. In addition, we have structured our center so that each classroom is self-contained and separated from other age groups to minimize distractions and ease the stress on your child caused by frequent interruption to their learning process.
5	Since 1982: The philosophies embraced by The Learning Tree were created by a working mom searching for a quality program for her own two children. Our center has been privately owned and operated by that same woman for over 25 years.
6	Family Involvement:  We believe that a child care center requires parent participation to be a true success. Your child will be excited to share his experiences with you so we have tons of opportunities for you to get involved. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Parties Parent Breakfasts every other month, Holiday parties, In-house field trips like puppet shows, story tellers, and magicians, Off-site field trips for children 4 years of age and older to local attractions like the zoo, parks, apple orchards, and fire station, Family conferences, Scholastic Book Fairs, Grandparent’s Day Celebration, Parent Coffee Bar, Open door policy – stop in anytime!
7	Convenience: We only close on the six major holidays: New Year’s Day, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, and Fourth of July. In addition, we’re open extended hours to assist our working families, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. At The Learning Tree, we guarantee that you won’t be scrambling for child care because of inclement weather, “staff development” days, or extended holidays, like the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and Good Friday.
8	Staff Training & Education: A skilled, experienced, and compassionate staff is paramount to your child’s success. We want their early school experience to be a positive one so we only employ the most qualified individuals. All Head Teachers have, or are currently pursuing, their degree in Early Childhood Education or Elementary Education or their CDA. Selected staff members attend annual conferences put on by the Michigan Association of the Education of Young Children. They learn about the latest research in child development, curriculum and discipline. We have an on-site library full of articles, early childhood journals, and up to date video trainings on playground safety, sensory play, child development and emotional growth. In addition to providing helpful information to our parents, our teachers use these resources to reach training goals set by their superiors. With an onsite Resource Coordinator, our extensive library is updated regularly with all the latest and greatest. Guest speakers who specialize in child development and early childhood education are frequently invited to present at our monthly Staff Meetings. In April of 2008, The Learning Tree hosted its first annual Learning Tree Conference. On this Saturday, teachers from all three centers gathered together to further their knowledge of child development, curriculum, safety procedures and much more! Our Assistant Directors take an active, hands on approach when training our teachers. Assistant Directors spend time in classrooms daily completing formal observations on everything from interactions with children to health and safety. Teachers set goals based on these observations. Training is done right there on the spot which ensures that your child is getting the best possible care!
9	Satisfaction: For over 27 years, The Learning Tree has grown from one classroom to four centers. We’ve worked hard to earn our reputation for excellence and we maintain that reputation by periodically checking in to make sure our parents are satisfied with our program. We send out a survey at the end of your first week and we also mail home bi-monthly comment cards. Parent suggestions have resulted in: Bulletin boards outside each classroom detailing upcoming events, menus, lesson plans, and helpful information, No hidden fees! Your weekly tuition covers field trips, food, and art projects, The Lantern, our monthly newsletter that includes a do-it-yourself art project with all the materials included, information on upcoming events, special announcements, and articles on discipline, potty training, sibling rivalry, and more.
10	Education: The Learning Tree curriculum has been designed to help your child acquire a life-long love for learning. Creative Curriculum©, educational websites, an onsite resource library along with the teacher’s imaginative ideas are the components that make each weeks lesson plan unique, fun and memorable. Teachers spend time each week planning a developmentally appropriate lesson plan that is centered around PLAY! We have found that children learn best while having hands on experiences and having fun!  The Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers© focuses on the importance of developing trusting relationships. With these relationships as the framework, teachers guide children through important daily routines with a variety of activities that support their individual growth in four main developmental areas: social/emotional, physical, cognitive and language.  The Creative Curriculum for Preschool© combines both teacher directed and child initiated learning. The curriculum provides clear direction for the teacher to address content in literacy, math, science, social studies, and the arts yet never loses sight of the primary importance of social/emotional development in children’s learning.  Through careful assessments and observations, teachers work with the children to ensure growth and development. The information about your child gained from these assessments will be shared with you during Family Conferences which are formally offered twice a year.
11	Enrichment Classes: At The Learning Tree we understand that as parents you never have enough hours in the day. By the time you are done with work and pick up your little ones from us, driving to dance class or music lessons seems daunting. That is why we want to be your “one stop shop”. The Learning Tree is proud to offer special enrichment classes such as music, dance, art, sports and much more. For a small additional fee you may sign up and have peace of mind that your child is having enriching experiences that will last a lifetime. Be sure to see your center director to see what classes are being offered now.