OUR STAFF
Highly trained and experienced teachers will support your child's learning in all areas by creating a fun environment that is consistent but flexible enough to provide opportunities for them to increase their skills, understanding, and judgment. Our staff is a professional group of teachers whose primary goal is your child's development. All of our teachers have a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential issued by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor's Degree in Early Child Education or related field. In addition, our teachers are CPR & First Aid certified and also attend on-going training classes and workshops in child care and early childhood education. They must also go through a National, Federal criminal background check, registered sex offender check, and a Family and Social Services check, all pre employment and repeated annually.
OPEN DOOR POLICY
Valparaiso Christian Academy is a school with an open-door policy. We welcome and encourage visits and participation from parents and guardians, grandparents, and family members whose children are attending the center. We invite you to visit anytime at your convenience. You never need to make an appointment or let us know in advance when you want to visit your child at the school. You will walk your child to and from class for drop off each and every day (unless you register for a class that has a car line). You will never be stopped at the door and prevented from observing your child's class or communicating with a staff member. There is also a live camera feed station in the office where you are welcome to observe your child's classroom via video at any time.
DAILY COMMUNICATION
Communication is an essential part of the high-quality care here at Valparaiso Christian Academy. Our center uses a secure high-quality program called ProCare where you will have access to communication with your child's teachers at all times to ask questions, send messages, see what's happening in the classroom, check on things like meals, nap time, diaper changes and potty training and many other important aspects of your child's day
Daily conversations, telephone calls, newsletters, parent/teacher conferences, photos/videos personalized daily notes, school wide alerts and messages are all communication tools used to keep you informed and involved.
You are welcome to call at any time of the day to check in and see how your child is doing or share information too lengthy or private to share during drop-off time.
MEET DARWIN & SHELDON
The American Academy of Pediatrics and many other well established organizations have published research online to support the benefits of therapy dogs in school. These benefits include promoting social & emotional health by lowering anxiety, improving mood, significantly reducing stress, and overall bettering the environment and mental health for staff and children.
Darwin was VCA’s first and original AKC Canine Good Citizen certified therapy dog! Darwin is a yellow lab that lives with Ms. Angie and her family. He came from Cedar Ridge Labs of Missouri and was trained through Dunes Dog Club in Hebron, then continued his certification through TEAM Canine NWI. He is continuing to fine tune his training as he works here at VCA. Darwin’s role is to interact and comfort children and be a support animal on an occasional basis. Our students love to read to him, play fetch, and snuggle in the quiet area. Darwin is great at keeping everyone company and comforting both students and staff whenever they need some extra TLC.
Sheldon is our newest addition. Sheldon was part of our “ Rescue Puppy Project”. The goal was in partnership with TEAM Canine NWI, as we rescued and provided a home to a young puppy in a shelter (LakeShore Paws) and gave him a job here, as a service dog. The children got to be a part of raising a puppy and to be part of the training process. Sheldon will continue to receive training over this next year as he grows. His role is also to be a therapy and comfort dog, and he will join our school age program and provide comfort for children who suffer anxiety as they head to school. We hope you join us in supporting our new adventure!
