History/Information
HISTORY OF WOODSIDE
Woodside was incorporated in March of 1978 as a private pre-school for three-, four-, and five-year-olds. The School was organized with a three-member Board of Directors, each with a three-year term. All current parents were, and are, members of the corporation and participate in the fall Annual meeting to elect new Board members and receive annual reports. Woodside received its non-profit status as a 501(c)(3) organization (a non-profit for educational purposes) from the Internal Revenue Service in March of 1979.
The School was originally housed in rented space at the Unitarian Church, Pleasant Street, in Concord. The enrollment in morning-only programs was forty students in 1978. An afternoon program for young fives and for children without access to public kindergarten was added in 1983. The total enrollment grew to eighty students by 1987 with a staff of six.
By the fall of 1986 it became apparent that the School had outgrown its rented space. At this point the Board of Directors was expanded to five members, and an extensive search was begun to relocate the School. A tuition assistance program was also added to ensure the availability of affordable programs to all who apply.
In April of 1987, when an ideal piece of property on South Fruit Street in Concord came on the market, the Board took a deep breath and voted to make a deposit on the property. With the generous support of Board members, staff, parents, and grandparents, funds were raised for a down payment. The fall of 1987 saw the expansion of the Board to its current level of nine members, three of whom are elected each year at the October Annual Meeting.
Many hours of fundraising, committee meetings, site visits, and plain hard work brought Woodside to the doorstep of its wonderful new home in October of 1988. A year-round childcare program for children age two years, nine months to eight years operated for nine years in the house portion of our property. In 1999/2000 we reconfigured our Multiage Program and moved it to the “barn”. A Toddler Program for ages eighteen through thirty-six months was created in the “house”. In June of 2001 we expanded our license to include children up to age twelve. In the fall of 2004, we continue to enhance our programs by combining the Multi-Age and Preschool programs and changing the Kindergarten to a full-day program. Woodside continues to serve children and their families in the Concord area with expanding programs. We celebrate all the years of services we’ve provided to the community and our accreditation by the National Academy of Early Childhood Program.
NATIONAL ACCREDITATION
Woodside School Inc. is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC sets standards of quality that only a small group of Early Childhood Centers meet nationwide, and in fact, Woodside is only one of six NAEYC accredited programs in Concord and one of only 40 in New Hampshire (out of approximately 1,200 licensed child care centers statewide). Although Woodside programs and staff consistently meet standards set by the New Hampshire Bureau of Child Care Licensing, we at Woodside believe that through accreditation we are making the extra effort to make our school one of the highest quality organizations in the country, as well as in the state of New Hampshire
NAEYC accreditation standards are reflected throughout Woodside School. Our teacher/child ratios are even lower than those set by the state of New Hampshire. This provides quality-learning experiences for young children, with assurances that teachers will be right there to encourage and guide the children. All staff must meet quality criteria for Early Childhood professionals. This is reflected in Woodside’s Staff Development requirements, as well as our expectation that staff participate in the credentialing process to acquire a NH state credential.
Educational curriculum must also meet the high quality standards set by NAEYC. Curriculum at Woodside must be meaningful to children, while addressing aspects of diversity and culture. Teachers closely observe children to determine the direction curriculum should take to best meet children’s interests.
Families are critically important to Woodside School, and NAEYC guidelines strongly encourage family participation in the education of young children. Woodside makes every effort to reach out to families, involving them in our programs and special events, such as the Week of the Young Child, a national effort sponsored by NAEYC.
You can find out more information about NAEYC and how accreditation helps Woodside School, Inc. to provide such high quality education for children by visiting the website at: www.naeyc.org.