LEAP School at Dakin Farm
Preschool in Chicopee, MA 01022
Our Mission is to foster positive growth in children, parents and teachers through caring, supportive and mutually respectful relationships within a safe, stimulating, child-centered environment. Children, Parents and Teachers represent the three “Seeds of LEAP.”
Every child is seen as a unique individual with gifts. We strive to nurture and develop the emotional, social, physical, and cognitive skills of every child. The Language Enrichment Arts Program (LEAP) encourages self-awareness, self-expression and promotes self-confidence.
The LEAP faculty is dedicated to establishing supportive relationships with parents. We believe in consistent, open and honest communication. We value parent education, provide parent resources and welcome parent involvement.
As educators, we are committed to the professional and personal growth of our teaching team. The LEAP School strives to lay the foundation for thoughtful, compassionate, respectful, responsible, and creative lifelong learners.
- Child Ages:
- 1 year - 5 years
- Rates:
- $
- Licenses & Accreditations:
- Massachusetts Department of Early Education & Care - NAEYC Accredited
- Special Needs:
- Behavioral, Emotional/Social, Learning, Special Diet, Speech/Language
- Preschool:
- Yes
- Hours of Operation:
- Monday-Friday 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
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The Language Enrichment Arts Program, the LEAP School, is a non-denominational private program founded in 1985 in Lexington, Massachusetts by Robin Shapiro, MA. It is uniquely designed to support the diverse needs of toddler, preschool, and kindergarten youngsters and their families. The LEAP environment is both dynamic and nurturing. Youngsters are inspired to develop their creative and intellectual abilities while having fun! The varied curriculum offers children a range of experiences that build positive self-esteem and stimulate excitement in learning. The small class size and low child/teacher ratio enables each child to be seen as a special individual.
A Balanced Approach to Nurturing Self-Esteem
Early experiences in preschool lay the foundation for future learning. A developmental approach supports the needs of young children when provided in an environment that is stable, stimulating, safe, and nurturing. Building self-esteem in young children is achieved by:
- understanding and respecting each child’s personality and temperament;
- providing opportunities for self-expression;
- validating a child’s feelings;
- positively reinforcing abilities and accomplishments;
- allowing children to progress at their own pace.
Continuous commitment to communication enables children, parents, and teachers to form strong and caring relationships.
Family-Centered Philosophy:
LEAP’s family-centered philosophy seeks out, values, and supports parent communication and input. Consistent, effective and thoughtful communication is the core of the LEAP concept. The teaching team welcomes feedback through: parent conferences, email communication, teacher and program evaluations, home visits, daily conversations, and an open door policy.
Administrative staff is always available to listen and respond to a parent’s concern as well as provide ongoing information regarding his/her child or the program. Teachers take great care to ease children through the morning separation/transition of leaving mom, dad, or another caretaker. The school supports parent education through seminars and a variety of resources. Special events and holiday parties bring families together and strengthen the LEAP community. The LEAP team understands the challenges of parenting and functions as a support to both parents and children.
