R’Club Early Learning Academy at US 19 & Ulmerton

R’Club Early Learning Academies provide a quality early childhood program that promotes the physical, social, emotional and cognitive development of young children while responding to the needs of the family. R’Club’s programs are designed to build on the strengths of each child. R’Club’s curriculum emphasizes developmentally appropriate learning as an interactive process. Teachers prepare the environment for children to learn through active exploration and interaction with adults, other children and a variety of materials and mediums. R’Club’s active learning environments build on a child’s strengths and interests. Learning areas provide a variety of activities and materials that are essential for the development of logical thinking, social skills and physical coordination. Children are prepared for academic success in reading, writing, math and science.

The foundation of R’Club’s programs is its guiding philosophy: to emphasize the importance of respect, responsibility, resourcefulness and responsiveness to the needs of others. The 4 “R’s” enhance the development of each child so they learn to be respectful of self, others, and property, be responsible for their actions, be resourceful in making positive choices, and be responsive to the needs of self, others, and their community.

The purpose of the Early Learning Academy is to provide children with an opportunity to develop to his or her greatest potential. R’Club early learning program emphasizes school readiness and incorporates the High Scope Curriculum and the Creative Curriculum as models for our program structure. The program provides a positive environment that meets the needs of the total child: physical, social, emotional and intellectual.

The concept behind our curriculum is that young children learn best by doing. Working together with parents, we help our children acquire the skills, attitudes, and habits to do well in school and throughout life. This requires active thinking and experimenting to find out how things work, to learn firsthand about the world we live in, to solve problems, and to cooperate with others.

The knowledge that human development can be stimulated and encouraged, but not forced, has been a key principle in developing this program. R’Club preschool learning environments encourage children to be active and creative explorers who are not afraid to try out their ideas and to think their own thoughts. Our goal is to help children become independent, self-confident, inquisitive learners. We allow them to learn at their own pace and in the ways that are best for them.

The Early Learning Academy includes both teacher-directed and child-initiated activities. Exploration, discovery, problem solving and decision-making are part of each day. Play is a factor in the child’s development. It is through play that the child acquires knowledge of the environment, has an opportunity to express and represent what he or she knows or imagines and develops motor skills.

Language development is another important part of the early learning program. The young child learns language through active exploration, interaction with adults and other children, manipulation of materials and verbalization of his or her experiences. The teacher’s role is to interact, to facilitate, to respond and answer questions, and to model attitudes and behavior that the child is to learn.

Parent participation is a vital element of the early learning program. The program encourages families to participate in and contribute to their community, supports family strengths and enhances parenting skills through participation in quarterly family events. The child’s intellectual and emotional development is therefore enhanced within the family.

R’Club is dedicated to maintaining the highest quality programs. R’Club Early Learning Academies are licensed by the Pinellas County License Board. The centers are open year round, Monday through Friday, most from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Our programs are supplemented with a variety of special events, field trips, and parent activities. A nutritious meal plan in accordance with USDA guidelines consisting of breakfast, hot lunch and snack is served daily at most locations.

R’Club’s Early Learning Academies are accredited nationally recognized organizations such as National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAC). NAC’s accreditation program promotes professionalism and program quality through comprehensive performance standards of evaluation for all components of early care and educational programs. It guides programs toward optimal practices by providing specific indicators that serve as evidence that standards have been met.

R’Club is committed to providing high-quality programs via a well-trained and exceptional staff. With a compensation package among the best in the child care industry in this area, and education, training, and experience requirements that lead the industry, R’Club is able to recruit and maintain the best-qualified staff in the area.

R’Club maintains high standards of accountability for the children in our care. Parents/Guardians must sign their child in upon arrival and out on departure and receive acknowledgement from an R’Club staff member that the child is leaving the center. R’Club will not allow a child to be picked up by anyone other than those listed on the child’s identification form. Unfamiliar persons must provide picture identification to an R’Club staff member. A staff member certified in First Aid and CPR is present at all times. Staff is fingerprinted and must undergo local, state and federal background checks. The employment history of staff members is verified and staff must submit to drug testing.

We welcome you to visit and take a tour of our centers. A member of our staff will be glad to answer your questions and provide information about how to enroll your child.