A Challenging and Fun Environment

Every day at New Gulph Children's Center is a day of learning, playing, working and growing. The program alternates self-directed peer play with teacher-directed activities in large and small groups.

Infant/Toddler Program - ages 6 weeks through 2 years

New Gulph Children's Center's Infant/Toddler room is organized “family style”. Instead of progressing through a series of different classes, such as Newborns, Creepers, Young Toddlers, Older Toddlers and different teachers, children at NGCC remain in the same classroom with the same teachers until they are ready to move up to the Preschool classroom, usually sometime close to their third birthday. This arrangement is unique to most other centers in our area, and our parents find it has many benefits.

Infants maintain their own individual eating and sleeping schedules. When they're not resting or feeding, they're engaged in the activities of the day, participating from the vantage point of an infant seat or a comfy Teacher's lap. The antics and activities of the older children fascinate them.

As they grow older, the I/T Teachers encourage our youngest children to gradually and naturally – within the bounds of safety – mingle with and become part of the toddlers' interactions. Meanwhile, they're “working” on the important milestones of sitting up, crawling, walking and talking. They can play freely in the safety of the “baby area,” where one or more Teachers are always present to help and encourage them.

Each day, there is a period when the Older Toddlers are separated from the younger children. During this special “Group Time,” Older Toddlers have the opportunity to work on developmentally appropriate projects and games in the Nap Room, which doubles as a cognitive play center. The Teachers encourage them to work on developing their emerging skills to help ensure a smooth transition to the Preschool.

The staff-to-child ratio in the I/T room is maintained at 1:4.

Click here to read “Things Parents Love” about New Gulph and the NGCC I/T Program.

Preschool Program - ages 3 years through 5 years

Five contiguous classrooms provide an easy flow of activity for the Preschool children. Ample space is brimming with stimulating materials and equipment: plenty of blocks and wooden trains for building; a play kitchen and “props” for playing “Let's pretend”; a computer and library filled with books; shelves of toys, puzzles and games to manipulate; arts and crafts for creating projects; and natural objects to explore. The walls are always well decorated with the children's latest creations!

The staff-to-child ratio in the Preschool is 1:7. (The Pennsylvania state maximum is 1:10.) Teacher-directed activities include listening to stories, singing and dancing, sharing ideas and learning school readiness skills cleverly designed as fun. Teachers provide individual attention every day to nurture each child's self esteem and closely monitor their changing needs and abilities.

Based on an open classroom model, the program encourages children to explore and make choices with age-appropriate activities. The day is loosely structured around the following activities:

•  Dramatic play

•  Blocks and building

•  Creative arts

•  Cognitive games

•  Science

•  Circle time

•  Story time

•  Clean-up time

•  Outdoor play

•  Special visitors and activities

•  Music & movement

In addition, our “Star of the Week” program gives each child an opportunity to shine in a special way during one week of the school year. Special activities and privileges include parents bringing in photos of the “Star” and his or her family and friends for display in the Center, parents or another adult of choice visiting NGCC to read a favorite story and share a snack for the children, and the child selecting a video from home for the Preschool classmates to watch on Friday.

Graduates of New Gulph's Preschool are academically and socially well prepared for their next step: kindergarten. Our young alumni attend a wide variety of public and private schools throughout the area.

Click here to read “Things Parents Love” about New Gulph and the NGCC Preschool Program.

Preschool Summer Camp Program

New Gulph offers Preschoolers a summer program filled with a variety of interesting, challenging and fun activities.

The nine-week Summer Session at NGCC is guided by the same philosophy and staff that mark the Fall and Spring sessions, but the program is noticeably different, with each morning devoted to a special outing, including:

•  Swimming – Each child is evaluated by a certified instructor and placed in group swimming lessons based on their ability. Lessons are conducted twice a week.

•  Field Trips – We visit a different place each week. Our destinations could include a new playground, the fire station, bumper bowling, the Elmwood Park Zoo, the Riverbend Nature Center and local government, businesses and attractions.

•  Gymnastics – Pancott's Gym is fully equipped with traditional balance beams, trampolines, vaulting horses and floor mats as well as some non-traditional features for smaller children. Children are divided into groups and spend time with a qualified gymnastics instructor.

•  Children's Theatre – The Upper Darby Recreation Department sponsors a Summer Theatre Camp for area high school students, producing a number of shows throughout the summer months. Each production begins with a rousing audience-participation song and lasts about one hour.

For all off-site activities, children travel in a school bus owned and operated by the Krapf Bus Company.  A STAR safety system (like a car seat) is available for each child.  The kids receive instruction on proper "bus behavior," and safety rules are strictly enforced.

Our Calendar

The Center conducts three sessions each year:

•  Spring – January through Mid-June

•  Summer – Mid-June through Mid-August

•  Fall – September through December

In general, NGCC is open Monday though Friday year-round, with the following exceptions/holidays:

•  Martin Luther King Jr. Day

•  Presidents' Day

•  Good Friday and Easter Monday

•  Memorial Day

•  Independence Day (July 4th)

•  Two weeks prior to Labor Day (facility maintenance)

•  Labor Day and Tuesday following

•  Thanksgiving and Friday following

•  Christmas Day, New Year's Day and week between

Throughout the year, a number of family outings are planned to give parents an opportunity to get to know each other and their children's friends. Included in these special get-togethers are a picnic, pizza party, pumpkin patch trip and staff appreciation dinner/silent auction.

Over time, a strong New Gulph community has emerged that extends beyond semesters, classrooms and even school districts!