Our first goal is that each child will know who they are in Christ Jesus, and that they were fearfuly & wonderfully made for a purpose. Psalm 139:14 We want them to know they are special and loved.

Our program is based on the Bible and the truth that God has outlined in His word for us to live by. Experiences are provided that meet children's needs and stimulate learning in all developmental areas. We use a wide variety of materials in our preschool and expose the children to the best of all information and ideas - but Jesus is always central. We respect an individual's right to his/her own beliefs, but we ask that parents agree to the exposure and understand the emphasis of our service.

Teacher/Caregivers recognize that parenthood, too, is a developmental process and that we can support parents in their role. The staff will work in partnership with parents, communicating regularly to build mutual understanding and greater consistency for the children. Parents are viewed as the child's primary source of affection and care Our staff will be supportive of parents and work with them to help them feel confident as parents.

Our staff will facilitate the development of self-control in children by using positive guidance techniques such as modeling and encouraging positive behavior. Proverbs 22:6 says: "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it". We feel that the words training, and discipline are inseparable. Whereas many feel that discipline implies something harsh and negative, our philosophy is that training a child to pick up after himself is a discipline; teaching a child appropriate interaction patterns with peers is part of discipline; etc We feel, especially in the early years, that character development and value formation are primary to every goal in our program, and these come through training, teaching and discipline. Discipline then, will always be based on teaching the child the character of God and how we can personally reflect those traits and values; teaching the child God's standards for love, respect for authority, faithfulness, obedience; etc. and teaching the child the value he/she has as a unique individual who has been made in the image of God. Genesis 1:27 We believe that this provides the dignity of self-esteem that each person needs to meet the challenges of daily living

One thing that needs to be clearly stated by us and clearly understood by the parents is that we are a Bible-based Christian childcare center and preschool. Our program will be based on the Bible and the truths that Gad has outlined in His Word for us to live by. God's word says Jesus is "The Truth," giver of "abundant life," and "in Him we live and move and have our being." We use a wide variety of materials in our program and expose children to the best of all information and ideas - but Jesus is always central. Our program includes songs of praise and worship, prayers for needs and healing, and Bible stories and scriptures. We respect an individual's right to his/her own beliefs, but parents should agree to the exposure and understand the emphasis of our services. As such, we understand that we may not be the ideal childcare for all people. We intend to be a living example of what we believe.

Chestnut Preschool is committed to each student's success in learning within a caring, responsive, and safe environment that is free of discrimination, violence, and bullying. Our center works to ensure that all students have the opportunity and support to develop to their fullest potential and share a personal and meaningful bond with people in the school community.

Thoughtful direction and planning are used to prevent problems and encourage appropriate behavior Communicating consistent, clear rules and involving children in problem solving, help develop their ability to become self-disciplined. We encourage children to be fair, to be respectful of other people, of property, and to learn to understand the results of their actions.