Arroyo Grande United Methodist Children's Center

Children's Center
2012 Parent Spring Survey Results

June, 2012

The "Spring Survey" findings showed that the families were 86% very satisfied and 14% satisfied with the overall quality of the program. 100% of the families felt that their child was well cared for and that their child was happy and enjoyed participating in the program. In addition, 100 % of the families received information from the program about their child's development, daily activities, and strategies or technique for discipline. Here are some personal comments written by families on the survey on how the program met their family's needs: "I really appreciate the outside classroom activities/events including the Positive Discipline Class. I also find the monthly newsletter effective." "Amazing Center, it works with my schedule." "I really appreciate how the teacher will take the time to explain to me how I can get along better with my child." "I am grateful for such a strong program, socially and intellectually, and developmentally. My children have been well-loved and supported, as well as our family. Thank You." "The school went beyond meeting our child's needs. We are so blessed to be a part of this school!" "This school is amazing and helped shape my son. Thank you." " Love it." "We are very happy with the program." "Perfection is hard to improve, both of my children have enjoyed and grown from this program." "Thank you for the 5 great years. We will miss you all."

The areas that the survey found where we can improve; provide more cultural activities and parent involvement. A suggestion that a family wrote to help us improve, "Receive reminders/ e mails about events and deadlines further in advance.

According to the survey, the most popular reason why families have chosen our program was for the age-appropriate curriculum and the second reason was for socialization. All of the families that turned in the survey participated in Parent/Teacher Conferences. Yeah! They found the conferences were informative and 86% of the families felt their child achieved his/her goals and was ready to move forward.

A new addition to the survey was the section regarding the National Association for the Education of Young Children Self Study Accreditation project that our school is participating in. 68 % of the families are aware of the school's participation, but 86% do not know what Accreditation can mean for them. However, only 43% would like more information about Accreditation. NAEYC Accreditation is a hallmark of quality. To learn more info about NAEYC Accreditation see http://www.naeyc.org/academy/interested/whyaccreditation.

Regarding "Parent Volunteer Opportunities" Two-thirds of the parents would like to help with classroom projects and 50% would rather help outside the classroom. Parent Involvement is the key to the success of our program. There are twelve activities throughout the year. There are four socials, four community events, and four fundraising events. All the activities include a spark of FUN while providing opportunities to build relationships and a strong community within our program. Again, this year, the most popular activity was the Holiday Program in December. The second runner-up was the Family Fun Day in October, along with the two Regatta events in January and February. According to the survey, only 63% wanted to help with fundraisers. That is up more that 30% from last year. YEAH!! Remember many hands make the work light. Fundraisers help raise money for things the school needs. It provides opportunities for families to meet one another and keep tuition costs down. The fall fundraiser helps us purchase new material and supplies. A comment written from a parent, "I hope that in the future, more parents will participate at the school activities. It's very important to be involved and show AGUMCC support." The winter fundraisers help the staff to attend the annual California Association for the Education of Young Children's conference. Each year the teacher return from conference inspired, refreshed, and better teachers.

The Arroyo Grande United Methodist Children's Center Board would like to thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. The findings are beneficial and very important in providing information we need to improve our program. Last year our goal was to improve our parent and teacher communication. This year our family surveyed showed that 93% were very satisfied with how the staff is communicating. That is a wonderful improvement. Our doors are always open. It can be challenging for the teachers and parents to be connected because of busy schedules. The best time for the teachers and parents to communicate is during drop off or pick up. If this does not work, call the classroom or leave a note for the teacher on the "Parent Communication Board" indicating when and how would be a good time for the teacher to reach you. To find out about future events or activities that will be coming up this next school year there are several places to look: the Year at a Glance, the monthly Children's Center Chronicle, the Parent Communication Board in the entrance way or your child's classroom, and the web site at www.worshipweekly.com and the link is Children's Center. We look forward to a fun and exciting new school year nurturing the development of children and fostering new friendships between our children, families, and staff.

Sincerely,
Maddy Quaglino, AGUMCC Director



Pictures on this page are from the Children's Center Promotion and Acknowledgement Program 2012 held on June 8, 2012 at the church.