Education Station Wonderschool

Our Teachers

Hello! I am Valjean McCray Ave., the founder of Education Station. I was inspired to start my own program because it has always been my dream to design my own space where children can blossom and grow. I have 30 years of experience working with young children. Additionally, I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and hold a Master’s Degree in Human Development.

While in my care, your child will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities, which promote all aspects of development. Family child care provides for children the comfort and experience of belonging to an extended family. I provide a home-like setting; therefore, I do not follow a strict routine. My approach to child care is child-centered and child-directed. Children are offered choices whenever possible. Just because you are not seeing anything in the way of papers does not mean that we have not been busy all day.

Philosophy

We believe in preparing the whole family with a School Readiness and Play-Based curriculum to encourage participation. At Education Station, we believe that children learn best by following their unique style of discovery, fostering confidence and capability. Our program supports children of all ages in engaging with new ideas and learning, ensuring a fun and educational experience from infancy to school age.

Location

Education Station Wonderschool is located in a warm, inviting single family home in the the growing place neighborhood.

We’ve designed our care environment with play and learning areas that allow children to explore various developmentally-appropriate activities based on their interests. Some of our favorite areas include our block area (for gross motor skills and problem solving), dramatic play area (for self-expression and empathy), and reading / cozy area (for literacy, relaxation, and respite).

Children will have some outdoor time every day at mix of both my private yard and local parks and playgrounds. Connecting with nature lets children gain deeper knowledge of themselves and the world.

At Education Station Wonderschool, I want to provide an environment that supports the cognitive, social, and emotional growth of each child.

About our program

We are a hands-on program. I firmly believe that children learn by doing. Our goal is to help you help your child build and grow a firm foundation.

I am a firm believer that all children learn differently and are individually different. My philosophy is that each child has a foundation to build on. As an educator, the foundation holds up the walls. The foundation is just the beginning of a child’s future. Without a good foundation, a child will not stand. My goal is help you help your child stand on a strong foundation. Together we can build your child up on an everlasting foundation.

Age-appropriate activities are scheduled with flexibility allowed to respond to the needs of the individual child and day. I will offer times for outside play, crafts, stories, instruction, and naps appropriate to the child’s ages, interests, and abilities. I will provide your child with tender loving care, understanding, patience and guidance in a happy family setting. I provide preschool curriculum, developing large and small motor skills. We do many arts and crafts where the focus is on the process, not the product. Free play is an important part of a child’s early years. It is here that they learn social skills that will be needed the rest of their lives.

Admissions

Join the Education Station community in four easy steps:

1. Explore our website

We’ve provided information about our philosophies and offerings to help you decide if our program may be right for your family.

2. Tour our program

Come see what makes Education Station unique. Please schedule a tour or attend an Open House event.

3. Submit an Enrollment Application

If you would like to enroll, please submit an application. Please note that we require tours for all prospective families. Please do not submit an application if you have not visited the program.Here’s some wording you can use: “For families in need of financial assistance, we accept subsidy payments from local welfare and resource & referral agencies. Inquire to learn more.”

4. Enroll

After reviewing your application, we’ll send an enrollment invitation. Upon accepting your invitation you’ll pay your enrollment fee, fill out enrollment documents and review our Parent Handbook.