Metzger Academy, Vienna, Virginia 22181

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Metzger Academy

Type of Center: Home Daycare
Director: Maria Metzger
9908 Oak Branch Drive,
Vienna, VA. 22181
Email Address: metzger_academy@yahoo.com
Phone Number: (703) 281-2378
Hours of Operation: 6:30 am - 6:30 pm Mon. - Fri.
Age Groups: Birth +
License #:FX.06-705-L114 03-142701

Qualifications:

I am the eldest of seven children and worked as a teacher’s aide for the Head Start Program in D.C. as a teenager in the 60’s. I worked as an educator for 18 years overseas and founded a language academy. I developed a career and college counseling department along with a small cultural section for adults to practice different languages, among other things.

I am a mother and grandmother. I have 8 years of experience as a day care provider and currently pursuing an early development degree. Of course I have health care training in CPR and hold a license from the state of Virginia.

Philosophy:

Metzger Academy Preschool

"Because every child comes into the world prepared for greatness"

Recent advances in brain-imaging techniques have proven what researchers have said for over twenty years: an infant's environment has a dramatic affect on brain development. In the first years of your baby's life, the brain is busy building its wiring system. Activity in the brain creates tiny electrical connections called synapses. The amount of stimulation your baby receives has a direct affect on how many synapses are formed. Repetitive stimulation strengthens these connections and makes them permanent, whereas young connections that don't get used eventually die out. These first years are a very important and pivotal time for a developing young brain. This intense period of brain growth and network building happens only once in a lifetime. We as parents have a brief but golden opportunity to help our babies stimulate the formation of brain circuitry. Here are some fascinating facts that researchers have discovered:

•Babies have a biological need and desire to learn
•The foundational networking of the brain's synapses is nearly complete after the rapid brain development of the first 3 years.
•The more stimulating experiences you can give your baby means the more circuitry that is built for enhanced learning in the future.
•Babies have a definite preference for high contrast images.
•The amount of connections in the brain can increase or decrease by 25 percent depending on the environment and stimulation.
•Visual stimulation can produce developmental advantages including enhanced curiosity, attentiveness and concentration. Boosting Brain Power

Research conducted by neurologists at the University College in London indicated that learning a second language increases the density of grey matter -- the brain tissue essential to processing information -- in one area of the brain. They found that the degree to which the grey matter increased was directly related to how proficient a person had become in the second language, and the age at which he or she began learning. The younger the subjects were when they learned a second language; the denser their grey matter grew. There also appears to be neurological benefits to starting a second language as early as possible.

According to Dr. Jeannette Vos, an educational trainer, researcher, and co-author of The Learning Revolution (Network Educational Press Ltd, 2001), "Before the age of eight, eighty percent of your neurological pathways have been formed, so if you take advantage of this explosion that's going on in the brain then obviously you're going to have more brain power. The more you learn as a young child the more intelligent you will be as an adult." She likens brain development to the branches of a tree, saying, "When a child is young, any (neurological) pathways that aren't being used will be pruned." DeBroff says it is never too early to start teaching children a foreign language. When most parents are concerned only with comprehension of English, they fail to understand just how incredibly children’s brains function. “The earlier children start learning a second language, the better, even as early as 1 year old,” she says. “Many teachers and linguists recommend starting the language learning process as soon as possible, even before children become verbal in their first language. Even though children are not speaking at that point, they are actively absorbing and processing language.” “By 6 months, children in English-speaking households already have developed different auditory maps, shown by electrical measurements, that identify which neurons respond to different sounds, from those in Swedish-speaking homes,” she says. “This is why learning a second language after, rather than with, the first is so difficult. The auditory map of the first language restricts the learning of a second language.”

Some parents worry that learning a foreign language too early might interfere with a child's ability to master English. Not so, say the experts. "For almost all children," Rhodes explains, "(learning a second language) actually helps a child's native language skills. It helps them with vocabulary and understanding what language is in general. So there's no negative side and a lot of positives for learning their native language." The Metzger Academy is committed to harnessing the power of your child’s developing brain and nourishing its growth during these first critical years of life.

Registration Info:

Hours are 6:30 am to 6:30 pm Monday through Friday. If your child is going to be
absent or late, please let us know (703.281.2378).

Tuition Info:

The rate for all children is $360 a week. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are included. Breakfast is served from 7:30 am – 8:30 am Mon.-Thurs. On Friday because of the 8:30 am math class breakfast is served from 7:00 am – 8:00 am. A two-week nonrefundable deposit is required at enrollment. Fees are paid bi-weekly in advance. Either party may give a two-week notice for termination of the agreement. Day care rates are adjusted to accommodate the cost of living. We increase them at the beginning of every school year. Late pick up fee: $ 15 for the first 5 minutes you are late and $ 1 for each additional minute after 6:30 pm. In addition, we will be closed for summer vacation the first 2 weeks of August.

Meals & Menus:

DAILY MEALS AND MENU
(We even make our own garlic bread)

Our daily meals are made from scratch. We like organic products and we’ve used bottled water to cook up until now. The new menu is international.

A typical week would be:

- Monday: Oatmeal (not instant), *Fruit, Milk, 7 Grain Toast
Lentils, Rice, Pineapple
Apples, Pretzels, Milk

- Tuesday: Scrambled eggs, Toast, *Fruit, Milk Fried chicken, Mash potatoes, Corn on the cob, *Fruit + cream cheese pound cake
Goldfish, *Fruit, Milk

- Wednesday: Bagels + cream cheese *Fruit Milk
Pasta with Marinara sauce or meat sauce Garlic bread Jello + *Fruit
Homemade banana bread Milk

- Thursday: French toast with real maple syrup *Fruit Milk
Breaded turkey burgers French fries Mixed vegetables Carrot cake
Bananas Graham crackers Milk
*Fruit: bananas, apples + whatever is in season; berries, watermelon, etc.

Staffing:

Our child to adult ratio can be absurd at times (it’s not unusual to have one adult for every two children here). This occurs because the children receive a variety of private classes and we have qualified people for cleaning and cooking also.

The staff apart from having the proper degrees and credentials for their different jobs has to be affectionate and loving. Every child must be kissed at least ten times a day.

Curriculum Information :

Curriculum 2008-09

Math

• Twice a week (1 ½ hours of class) (www.kumon.com).

Piano

• Suzuki method (enclosure provided). • Three times (three hours a week).

Spanish

• Daily immersion method.

Arts & Crafts

• Fee detailed on separate sheet. • Two times a week (one hour of class).

Music / Theater
Geography

Science • Includes nature study.

Phys. Ed.

• Held outdoors, weather permitting – please pack appropriate clothing.

Reading/Writing (Bob Books method).

• Book order information detailed on enclosure provided.
General etiquette
Creative dance, yoga and ballet.
• Appropriate costume and fee on separate sheet.
• Two times a week (three hours of class)

Suzuki Piano Method

Every Child Can Learn

More than forty years ago, Suzuki realized the implications of the fact that children the world over learn to speak their native language with ease. He began to apply the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music, and called his method the mother-tongue approach. The ideas of parent responsibility, loving encouragement, constant repetition, etc., are some of the special features of the Suzuki approach.

Adult Involvement

As when a child learns to talk, adults are involved in the musical learning of the child. They attend lessons with the child and serve as “home teachers” during the week. One adult often learns to play before the child, so that s/he understands what the child is expected to do. Adults work with the teacher to create an enjoyable learning environment.

Early Beginning

The early years are crucial for developing mental processes and muscle coordination. Listening to music should begin at birth.

Listening

Children learn words after hearing them spoken hundreds of times by others. Listening to music every day is important, especially listening to pieces in the Suzuki repertoire so the child knows them immediately.

Repetition

Constant repetition is essential in learning to play an instrument. Children do not learn a word or piece of music and then discard it. They add it to their vocabulary or repertoire, gradually using it in new and more sophisticated ways.

Encouragement

As with language, the child’s effort to learn an instrument should be met with sincere praise and encouragement. Each child learns at his/her own rate, building on small steps so that each one can be mastered. Children are also encouraged to support each other’s efforts, fostering an attitude of generosity and cooperation.

Parents whose children are involved in the Suzuki program throughout the country are enthusiastic about the benefits for their children and their whole families.

Supply List :

Supply List 2008-09

Clothing

Please provide one full change of clothing for each child. All items should be labeled with the child’s name. In the summertime, the children often cool off in the wading pool. Please provide a towel and swimsuit and swim diapers for any child not fully potty-trained.

Phys. Ed. Takes place outdoors as often as weather permits. Please provide appropriate clothing (hats, jackets, gloves, etc.)

Creative dance classes are $ 100 a month. If your child is registered for the creative dance classes the following will be needed:

• Girls: pink leotard, pink tights, pink ballet shoes.
• Boys: black shorts, black t-shirt.

These items can be purchased at the Family Stone in the Pan Am Shopping Center in Vienna.

Books

Please order: the Level A set of Bob Books at www.bobbooks.com. Kumon Math at www.kumon.com.

CD

Please order: Suzuki Piano School, Volumes 1 & 2. Performed by Valery Lloyd-Watts at www.suzuki-piano.com.

Art & Misc. Supplies

There is a $ 100 annual fee for school supplies due at the beginning of the school year.

Parents are asked to cover the cost of costumes a few times during the year and if additional supplies become necessary. Parents will be notified via the email list (email: metzger_academy@yahoo.com to subscribe) or a notice on the downstairs bulletin board.

Extras:

Parents supply sleeping bags, booster chairs and portable cribs for their children.
They also supply diapers, wipes, creams and formula.

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Location and Directions:

We are located near Vienna metro and Route 66.

Our address is:

9908 Oak Branch Drive Vienna, VA 22181

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