FAQs

Our facility is eco-friendly in many ways, and we incorporate environmentally friendly practices into our daily routine with the children and among the staff. We teach our children how to recycle, reduce and reuse.

• We furnished the preschool with high quality safe flooring which is fire, slip and static resistant and has low VOC. It is also sealed with fungi and bacteria sanitizing treatment for hygiene purposes.
• The exterior rubber flooring is free from lead and mercury, it is shock absorbent and slip resistant.
• Our wall partitions are fire resistant and painted with lead free paint.
• Indoor and outdoor toys are non-toxic, free from any harmful volatile chemicals, come from environmentally-responsible companies and meet Canadian and British standards for safety.
• Wooden furniture and paper used in the preschool is made from farmed trees and not from endangered rain forests.
• Cleaning products and tissue paper used in our facility are biodegradable, safe and environmental friendly and meet the highest German standards.
• Preschool based recycling system of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is practiced daily utilizing the preschool left-over materials as a part of our Educational commitment to creativity.

• Recycling and composting: The children learn to sort recyclables and to save their food leftovers for the compost bin.
• Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are main topics in the daily routine.
• New technologies are incorporated in our teaching methods
• We practice the process of reconnecting kids with the forgotten natural things like soil, greens, animals , sea, and land natural topography through trips and little geological adventures.
• We promote healthy eating habits by discouraging parents from packing sugary or other unhealthy snacks for their children.
• We have a zero-trash lunch policy, in which parents are expected to pack their children’s lunches in reusable containers.
• Gardening is a huge part of our curriculum.
• We celebrate Earth Day where we dedicate a whole day to earth-related projects such as taking care of animals, gardening, recycling, and singing songs about nature.

Each child transitions differently and you know your child better than anyone, so we trust you to lead us in integrating him/her into our environment. Parents are always welcome to come and spend some time with their child at our preschool. Sometimes it can be confusing for a child to have his/her parents stay for longer than the rest of the parents, and if we are noticing that this approach is not helpful in settling the child down we will communicate our concerns to you.

Congruent with our ecological view, we believe in “guided participation” where the teacher engages with the child to help him/her acquire and expand on his/her knowledge of the world. CIPS follows the Canadian “Alberta Early Childhood Curriculum” which describes expectations in seven learning areas.

• Early Literacy
• Early Numeracy
• Citizenship and Identity
• Environment and Community Awareness
• Personal and Social Responsibility
• Physical Skills
• Creative Expression

Minor conflicts are not avoided because we believe that children learn important interpersonal and social skills through a conflict. They are handled according to the age, cognitive level, and emotional maturity of each child. In general, children lack the verbal ability to communicate their needs, therefore our teachers support the children verbally by describing the situation, allowing each child to share their side of the story, acknowledging feelings, prompting verbal exchanges and encouraging ideas to solve the conflict. As children get older, they learn to communicate effectively and solve conflicts with little or no intervention from the teacher.

Staffing levels are dictated solely by the children’s age and remain constant irrespective of what group they may be in. The ratios are:

• one staff member to 3 students for children under two years
• one staff member to 8 students for children who are two years old and above

Children’s care needs are fully met within this requirement and every child can have one to one on the occasions when this is needed. We have one, one assistant teacher and one support staff.

First, parents sign up to take a tour of our facility with CIPS director. Then, you may arrange to bring your child back for a 1 hour play with our teachers and students. After the play date, if you believe that our preschool might be a good fit for your child and family, you may finalize the registration process by completing the application form. We will review your application and then let you know in a timely manner whether you have been admitted to our program.

We have an open door policy and parents are welcome in our preschool any time during the school day. We encourage parents to volunteer their time in the classrooms or to bring special activities and projects in to share with their child’s class. Hours should be arranged with the child’s teacher ahead of time. We are also opening a new gathering room for parents to meet, exchange their experiences over a cup of coffee and have a break from their daily routine.

Quick questions between parent and teacher can be addressed during drop-off and pick-up times, but issues requiring more than a couple of minutes may have to be discussed during a phone call or an arranged appointment. Each week parents receive a note letting them know what their children learned that week, as well as a few comments regarding their behavior and progress. Periodically teachers schedule conferences so that these issues can be discussed in more depth.

At CIPS, we have children of varied nationalities and cultures. Although, as a rule, English is a medium of instruction the teachers help the children learn and understand the language being spoken to them. It has been observed that in a very short time, children overcome the language barriers and their language skills develop tremendously as they learn many new English words every day.

The front gate and the back door are kept locked during school hours for children’s safety. Kids will check in and out. Only parents and persons authorized by the parents are able to collect the children from school. Staff will not allow a child to leave the premises with an unauthorized person.

Yes, Dr. Ahmad Teiba is from American Hospital and visits once a month.