FAQs

Learning is very important to us at Morning Star. Our teachers keep up to date with current research in cognitive development and appropriate teaching techniques for young children. Each day, Morning Star teachers offer their students a wide variety of learning experiences—all taught in a fun, creative, and hands-on manner.

Young children need learning experiences that provide a foundation for future academic success. Morning Star teachers integrate developmentally appropriate mathematics, pre-reading skills, including letter recognition, vocabulary development, science, and writing into their curriculum planning.

Pond life, dinosaurs, community helpers, oceans, and farms are just a sample of the interesting and educational thematic units taught at Morning Star.

Our teachers are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care to young children. All of our lead teachers have early childhood or elementary education degrees, training, and experience.

Our teachers are required to obtain 24 hours of additional training each year. They attend conferences and workshops to discover and learn additional creative ideas to use in the classroom.

Children at Morning Star are active and busy. In the morning, children participate in circle or group time with stories, songs, and fingerplays; center activities such as table games, science, language, or mathematics; an art or craft project; snack; and outdoor play on our half-acre playground.

An afternoon rest period is followed by another snack, craft projects, stories, and more outdoor play.

Our toddler classes, ages one through two and a half, go on walking or stroller trips around Dexter when weather permits. In the fall, they travel by one of our buses to visit a local farm to pick pumpkins and go on a hayride. We require a 1:2 teacher or parent ratio for this event, which also provides a useful opportunity for parents to become involved.

Throughout the year, our preschool classrooms visit local farms, science centers, indoor play spaces during the winter, and local theaters for age-appropriate performances. During the summer, in addition to walking field trips to Dairy Queen and the gazebo in downtown Dexter, they visit local parks for picnic lunches.

Our Developmental Kindergarten classroom has at least one field trip a month during the school year which includes the library, gymnastics, theater, and parks.  In the summer months they spend one day each week on Park Day having a picnic lunch at a local playground in addition to their numerous other field trips.

On no-school days, our school-age children often travel to fun places around Washtenaw County. During the summer, we offer a traveling summer camp program. School-age students participate in three to four field trips each week, including visits to local parks, zoos, museums, science centers, pools, and water parks.

Parents are always informed and permission is obtained before any trip away from the center.

Morning Star provides a morning and afternoon snack every day as well as lunch milk.  Parents send in a packed lunch, with an ice pack, from home for their child.  We have microwaves in each classroom so teachers can warm up lunch items.  Morning Star does offer parents an opportunity to purchase a pizza lunch for their child on Fridays.

Our infant, toddler, preschool, and Developmental Kindergarten programs operate on a year-round schedule. Morning Star also offers a summer camp for school-age children from Kindergarten through fifth grade.

Yes. We are open on certain weekdays between Christmas and New Year’s Day; however, we are closed on December 23, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

When a holiday falls on a weekend, we close on the nearest weekday, either the preceding Friday or the following Monday.

Morning Star Child Care is also closed on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and the Friday after Thanksgiving.

In addition, the center closes for staff training and classroom preparation on the Friday before Labor Day and on either the last Friday in March or the first Friday in April, depending on the Michigan Conference for Early Childhood Educators schedule.

Tuition paid monthly is discounted to reflect the equivalent of two free weeks per year. These free weeks are calculated into the annual tuition and apply only to children enrolled in our year-round infant, toddler, preschool, and Developmental Kindergarten classes.

Tuition for children enrolled in our school-age program is based on the child’s set schedule. Tuition is expected regardless of sick or vacation days.

All children may attend Morning Star two, three, four, or five days per week. Our preschool and Developmental Kindergarten programs offer a morning-class or full-day-class option.

School-age children may attend before school, after school, and on no-school days. Enrollment in our no-school-day program ensures that care is available on snow days during the winter months.

Yes. A 7% discount is offered to families with more than one child enrolled. This applies to full-time enrollment. One discount is allowed per family.

Morning Star uses an online parent portal called MyProcare. Parents visit MyProcare.com and enter the secure site using their provided credentials. They may view their child’s general information, emergency contacts, and tuition. MyProcare provides a quick and convenient method of communication between parents and the center.

Center-wide notices are also distributed through the portal. In addition, every classroom has a Parent Bulletin Board where teachers post notes about daily activities, lesson plans, snack menus, community information and activities, and monthly newsletters.

Parents of children ages one through three receive a daily log describing their child’s day. All families receive the Morning Star Newsletter at least four times each year. This newsletter includes informative articles, important dates, upcoming events, and information about children’s activities.

Parent-teacher conferences are held each October and March. Parents are welcome to call or visit the center at any time to speak with a director or teacher.

Morning Star is accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children, or NAEYC. NAEYC created its accreditation process in 1985 to establish professional standards for early childhood education and help families identify high-quality child care and early education programs.

To earn NAEYC accreditation, Morning Star conducted a self-study to determine how well our curriculum and program met national standards. Parent and teacher surveys were distributed, improvements were made, and Morning Star was visited by an independent professional validator.

Our application was then reviewed and approved by a national panel. Morning Star’s accreditation process took two years from start to completion and is valid for five years.

Accreditation helps ensure that Morning Star Child Care offers children the highest quality of care. Our teachers are required to routinely update their education by attending conferences and workshops.

Accreditation requires Morning Star to maintain child-to-teacher ratios below those mandated by state licensing. This means children in our care receive the personal attention they need for healthy growth. Morning Star’s teachers are dedicated to their profession and to every child in their classrooms.

Accreditation gives our teachers the recognition they rightly deserve.