Our Mission
Our Mission at Beginnings is to be “Christ’s Hands Extended” as we educate and nurture children, families and colleagues always striving for excellence in everything we do.
From The Director
Our website contains a great deal of information about our school. This is a good place to start the process of choosing a school for your child. I hope you find the information helpful with the very important decision you are preparing to make – your child’s care and education.
The Beginnings site will give you an overall idea of who we are. I would enjoy meeting you and your child in person and this would give you the chance to get to know Beginnings a little better. Our tour will give you the opportunity to spend time in the classrooms, explore the playgrounds and facility, meet our loving staff and have all of your questions answered by the administrative team.
I know that when you visit us you will find what over a thousand families have before you. Beginnings is the place for exceptional care and education.
I look forward to meeting you soon.
Sincerely,
Director
Our History
For almost 40 years, on October 22, 1984, Beginnings opened its doors to its first students. This was after almost a year of rezoning, remodeling an existing structure, landscaping and building a playground, all to create a preschool for 60 children. When we opened our doors, we had three classes, three teachers, a total of seven children …. and a lot of debt!
But we also had a lot of faith, and the children started coming, and coming, until we were filled to our original capacity of 60 children. In 1986 we expanded our facility, adding an office, kitchen, adult bathroom and four classrooms. This enabled Beginnings to care for 120 children with a staff of 22 very special teachers and administrators. In 2000 we constructed a multi-purpose room and a library-resource room for children, teachers, and parents. And finally….in 2005 we built four brand-new, state of the art, playgrounds !
“You’ve come a long way, Baby!” can certainly be said of Beginnings. And along the way we have had the privilege and joy of educating and caring for well over a thousand children. Throughout the years we have tried to carry out our mission to be “Christ’s Hands Extended” as we provide a safe and loving place for children to learn.
We were the first early childhood program in the county (and 4th in the state of Florida) to become nationally accredited, a hallmark of quality. We have been accredited by both state and national accrediting organizations. We were chosen to pilot preschool programs for the American Heart Association and State Fire Prevention Initiative. We raised funds and supplies for victims of natural disasters, gifts for foster children, and food for the hungry. We have served as a model training site for students from Palm Beach Community College, (now known as Palm Beach State), Florida Atlantic University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Santaluces High School and Lake Worth High School.
One of the primary reasons Beginnings has enjoyed over 40 successful years is because of the teachers and administrators who come here. The staff at Beginnings is exceptional. They are unmatched in Palm Beach County and perhaps the state. Any school is only as good as its classroom teachers and our teachers make Beginnings a unique school of outstanding quality.
The many years since 1984 have been wonderful! Most importantly, God has been our source, our inspiration and our continued support. As we continue nurturing and educating young children, we give thanks for God’s blessings, we thank our parents for the beautiful trust they put in us, we thank all the teachers who have helped shape Beginnings, and most of all, we thank the children….they are our reason for being.
Our Philosophy
“Planting seeds today for a blossoming tomorrow”
We believe that beginnings are so important because they often determine later successes in life and future attitudes toward school. Therefore, at Beginnings we provide a nurturing environment in which children learn, play, make new friends, and develop at their individual pace.
We welcome families and children of all faiths. As a Christian preschool, we teach children prayer and the principles of love, caring, and forgiveness as they relate to others. We teach them that they are loved and valued by God.
We teach children about caring for others through our involvement in Food Drives for local food pantries, gifts for foster children, donations and supplies for hurricane victims, and the Muscular Dystrophy Hop-a-thon, among others.
Accreditation
Beginnings received national accreditation in 1985 from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). We were the first preschool in Palm Beach County and the fourth in the State of Florida to receive national accreditation.
NAC Accreditation recognizes and validates the highest quality early childhood programs. It entails an extensive self study, an on-site review by early childhood professionals, and the review and vote of a national commission of professionals in our field. In order to become accredited, a program must meet the highest standards in health and safety, parent involvement, curriculum, observation and assessment of children, materials and equipment, teaching, child/teacher ratios, class size, compensation and benefits for staff, and most important of all – relationships between teachers and children.
Since 1984, Beginnings has been accredited by a number of professional bodies including the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association of Child Care Professionals (NACCP), Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment (APPLE), and the Association for Early Learning Leaders (AELL).
Since 2006, Beginnings has been accredited by the AELL’s National Accreditation Commission (NAC).
Faculty & Staff
Beginnings has a high quality faculty with many years of education and teaching experience. Some of our teachers have been with us for 17 years. Our entire staff represents over 44 years of experience in the field of early childhood care and education.
Our administrative team provides support for our teachers and serves as a knowledgeable resource for our families. We have an open door policy and encourage parents to frequently stop by the office for a chat.
Our Facilities
Our school is situated on 2 ½ acres of beautiful country landscape. We are conveniently located on Lantana Road, between Military Trail and Haverhill Road.
We have eight classrooms (each with its own bathroom), two kitchens, a laundry, and large multipurpose room that is used for indoor gross motor games and play during inclement weather. We also have a beautiful library with over 4,600 children’s books, puppets, a listening center, and a cozy nook for reading. Teachers have access to resource materials on all early childhood education subjects such as phonics, math, science, music, reading readiness, art, and motor and language development.
Beginnings has four spacious and beautiful playgrounds with state-of-the-art play equipment designed specifically for each age group we serve. We have hills for running and rolling down, sand boxes for group play, a climbing wall for the pre-kindergarteners, and areas for running, swinging, bike riding, and playing with friends.
All children at Beginnings get to participate in growing a garden. Each classroom has its own garden that is planted with a variety of vegetables in the fall and flowers in the spring. The produce is prepared and eaten at school or taken home to enjoy.