WHY CHOOSE BRANT CHILDREN'S CENTRE?
These are a few reasons that make Brant Children’s Centre a great learning place for your child.
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Strong Management Team
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An independent building with IQAir HEPA filters throughout the school
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Excellent Playgrounds and Beautiful classrooms
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Staff carefully chosen for their competency, qualifications, and empathy for children
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Innovative programs such as Roots & Shoots and Wiz-Tech (a STEM program)
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Consistent learning based programs for children from toddler to SK, including its Two-Year Enriched Academic Kindergarten
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Brant Children’s Centre aims to provide a high quality, supportive and caring environment for all children enrolled. Our goals include:
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Promoting health, safety, nutrition and well-being of all children
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Providing well-balanced programming that fosters children’s exploration and inquiry
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Supporting positive interactions among children, parents, and staff
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Assisting children to respect each other and learn and share
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Encouraging children to have fun, to enjoy learning, and to use their imaginations
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Preparing young children with the skills, behaviours, and confidence necessary for success in later years
Our philosophy states:
"Although we recognize the importance of play, Brant is perceived as a school for young children. We focus on language, literacy and math skills. Our objective is to have children enter Grade One reading or at least having a strong phonetic background. We want children to have confidence and a ‘joie de vivre’ for wanting to learn when they enter primary school."
OUR TEAM
Our Management Team includes:
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Owners/Directors - Nitin Soni and Michelle Soni
Our Owners came to Brant Children's Centre Academy with a wealth of experience. They have been successfully running Learning Blocks Montessori School locations in Halton since 2014. Nitin is trained in Business Management and Michelle is trained in Engineering/Education. They both are very passionate about educating young minds and making sure our students develop a strong emotional and educational base before leaving our centre.
Janine Stewart, RECE, School Supervisor
Our Supervisor Janine first came to Brant Children’s Centre during her student placement upon graduating from Sheridan College with her ECE. She was immediately hired on and began her long journey with Brant Children’s Centre. Over her 38 years with Brant, she has had the opportunity to work in every classroom, ran the Morning Pre-School program and After School program, work behind the scenes in the Office. She is caring, compassionate and passionate about working with children, making sure that each child is loved and cared for like they were her own.
Sendi Gallo, RECE, Assistant Supervisor
Our Assistant Supervisor Sendi Gallo is a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) who has been in the field for over 25 years. She chose to make Brant Children’s Centre her home for the past 17 years. She believes in building strong relationships with staff, children and the families thus creating a family atmosphere which fosters learning. She has remained current in the field by continuously participating in webinars and a variety of professional development courses. She enjoys bringing her knowledge back to the centre to build on our programs or creating new ones!!!
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Our teaching staff are dedicated to the care and education of each child through individualized attention and motivation of each child to do his or her best.
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Our History
The first owners, Joe and Wendy Kormos started Brant Pre-School in 1967. As teachers, they recognized the need for quality child care in Burlington. They run their first program outside a house. As its reputation grew, Brant Children’s Centre was made an independent facility in 1972 at 3180 New Street.
Brant Children’s Centre was purchased by second owners, Heather and Peter Knoepfli in 1980. They enhanced the facility, playgrounds, programming, and staffing to make it one of Burlington's leading childcare centers. Several innovations were also initiated, such as the After-School Program, an academic Kindergarten, and the use of computers. Brant’s Enriched Academic Curriculum is now developed well. The aim is to continue to innovate as child and family needs constantly evolve in the 21st century.
After their retirement in June 2022, our new owners Nitin and Michelle Soni assumed management of BCC. They have dedicated countless hours to preserving its legacy while striving to maintain and enhance the quality of its programs.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here, we answer some of the common questions asked by parents about our program. If you have a specific question that is not addressed, please feel free to contact us.
1. WHAT IS THE REGISTRATION PROCESS?
The first step is to complete a registration form. You can mail or drop off the form to us. You can also arrange for a tour or a visit. Once a space becomes available, we will call you to arrange a time to come in to register.
2. IS THERE A WAITING LIST?
We always have names on a waiting list. However, it depends on when a space is needed. Spaces are most available at the beginning of September, the start of our school year, and the beginning of summer, the start of our Summer Camp period. The best advice is to call and ask.
3. HOW ARE PAYMENTS MADE?
We work on an “in-advance payment policy”. At registration, we take a registration fee and a security deposit of one or two weeks’ fees, depending on the program. After that, we only accept cash or post-dated cheques – weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly – by the term.
4. WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM LATE?
We currently close at 5:30 PM. There is now a late fee for children picked up after this time. This payment is given directly to the staff who kindly agree to stay with your child.
5. HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS?
Communication is key. We are available to talk with parents on a daily basis. We send out monthly newsletters during the year, and supervisors will circulate memos and notes regarding specific events and activities. We also use our bulletin boards and clipboards to provide information, and we will contact you directly if your youngster is sick, gets hurt, or we simply want to talk to you about a particular concern. Our doors are always open, and we strive to make our parents as comfortable as possible to talk with us. It’s a team effort to work with children.
6. WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS OF YOUR STAFF?
The most important characteristic that we look for in hiring staff is empathy, love, and compassion for young children. This trait and formal qualification don’t always go together! That being said, almost all of our staff have an ECE diploma and/or a University degree(s). Staff in our Kindergarten Department are also Teacher Certified. Most staff in our Kindergarten Department are OCT certified.
Our programs are very busy and require children to think, be involved and be active. Most cannot function effectively during the afternoon without a quiet time mid-day. Most of our children look forward to this time. However, some don’t nap, and for these children, we provide “Quiet Bags” with small items with which they can play quietly. There are no naps in our Kindergarten program.
7. MY CHILD DOESN’T LIKE TO NAP. IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE HE/SHE CAN DO AT NAP TIME?
Our programs are very busy and require children to think, be involved and be active. Most cannot function effectively during the afternoon without a quiet time mid-day. Most of our children look forward to this time. However, some don’t nap, and for these children, we provide “Quiet Bags” with small items with which they can play quietly. There are no naps in our Kindergarten program.
8. DO YOU HELP WITH TOILET TRAINING?
Absolutely! It’s a team effort.