Trinity Day School Receives NAEYC Accreditation

Trinity Day School of Newtown was recently granted accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), which is a national agency that evaluates preschools, child care centers, kindergartens, and before- and after-school programs using rigorous guidelines that demonstrate national standards of excellence.

Programs seeking accreditation undergo an intensive self-study, collecting information from parents, teachers, administrators, and classroom observations. The school received an on-site visit conducted by early childhood professionals to validate the self-study results. All of the information was independently reviewed by a team of experts who grant or deny accreditation.

The process carefully considers all aspects of a program including health and safety, staffing, staff qualifications, and physical environment. The greatest emphasis is on the children’s relationships with the staff and how the program helps each child grow and learn intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally. This prestigious recognition has been achieved by approximately six percent of early childhood programs nationwide.

“Trinity Day School is a very special place for a child to begin his or her first school experience,” director Nancy Nathanson said. “The NAEYC accreditation adds another dimension to our program by focusing on the children’s relationships with our knowledgeable and professional staff. It validates that the standards we have set for ourselves are truly superior translating into a quality experience for the students and their families.”

“We are delighted to have been granted the accreditation. Over the years we have put our focus on the children and their families,” said Karen Kneisel, chairperson of the board of directors. “This philosophy is carried out during class time as well as during all of the ‘extracurricular’ activities and fundraisers at Trinity Day School. We plan events that bring the families of our students together to share experiences and make memories. Now, that philosophy has paid off.”

The nursery school has recently held events including the Teddy Bear Parade, a day for 3-year-olds to celebrate their teddy bears; Dad’s Day, a Saturday when students bring their fathers to school to share in some of the activities done during the week; Dino Dig Day, using parent volunteers for students to explore all things dinosaur; and Family Movie Night, a Friday night when the children wear their pajamas to school and watch movies.

For more information about Trinity Day School call 426-8429.