North Carolina’s Star Rated License System
North Carolina state law requires child care programs to have a Star Rated License. Star ratings are achieved by assessment of two quality child care components: Staff Education and Program Standards.

• Program Standards
  Reflects the quality of care children receive and assesses program components including the program environment, the number of staff per child and the interactions between adults and children.

•  Staff Education
  Reflects the education and experience of the program’s staff, with higher points awarded to programs staffed by individuals with higher levels of education such as the education and experience levels of the administrator, the number of lead teachers with child care credentials, the number of lead teachers with more early childhood education and experience, the number of teachers with formal education and/or experience

• Quality Point
  In addition, programs having a two component license can earn a “quality point” for enhanced standards in staff education and program standards. Programs must also maintain a 75% “compliance history” a minimum standard for any licensed facility.

Shining Stars Academy CDC has a Four Star License

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Shining Stars Academy Inc., Child Development Center is committed to prepare children to be successful in life, will enable them to grow and develop to their fullest potential and to provide an educational program designed to meet the needs of the whole child.

Shining Stars Academy's program focuses on the following developmental skills:

• Physical:  Children have the opportunity to learn how to control their body muscles and toilet learning.

• Large (Gross) Motor Skills: Using large groups of muscles to sit, stand, walk, run, etc., keeping balance, and changing
      positions.

• Small (Fine) Motor Skills: Using hands to be able to eat, draw, dress, play, write, and do many other things.

• Cognitive: Children learning, understanding, problem-solving, reasoning, and remembering.

• Social/Emotional: Children learn to interact with others, have relationships with family, friends, and teachers, cooperate, and respond to the feelings of others.

• Language: Speaking, using body language and gestures, communicating, and understanding what others say.

We offer services for children 6 weeks to 10 years of age. Our normal business hours are 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. No part time care is currently provided. Shorter schedules are only available for Transitional Kindergarten and the Before and After School Programs. The shorter Transitional Kindergarten hours are 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. Extended care hours are 7:00 am to 8:30 am and 1:30 pm to 6:00 pm.

We also offer Drop In Care  services for  children 15 months to 4 years old and is based on availability and operates hourly. Hours of operation is 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Reservations is required for staffing purposes as well as space availability because child-staff ratios must be maintained.

Shining Stars Academy program curriculum is based on the child development model which incorporates the theories of Piaget, Erikson, and others. Learning through Play is the fundamental work of childhood and an important part of developing cognitive, social/emotional and physical skills. Our curriculum focuses on the concept that children learn by doing throughout actively manipulating and exploring their environment in addition to making many of their own decisions. It is important for children to have opportunities to construct their own knowledge through creativity, interaction, exploration, and imitation of role models.

• Focusing on the Whole Child - cognitive, language, social/emotional, gross & fine motor skills and physical development
• Providing structure activities and experiences provided to children for the purpose of stimulating and enhancing growth and development
• An emerging curriculum based on each child's interests and needs
• Following a daily schedule with a balance of child selected and teacher facilitated activities
• Building relationships, learning how to solve problems and expressing emotions
• Assigned a primary caregiver
• Positive interactions between teachers and children
• Establishing partnerships with parents and having sensitivity to their changing needs
• Parent involvement and conferences

Components of The Program

• Parent Newsletter: published on a monthly basis

• Educational Strategies: weekly themes, establishing rules in the classroom, information on the learning centers, and transition activity

• Morning Circle Time: coming together, attendance, Pledge of Allegiance (preschool, transitional kindergarten only), calendar (preschool, transitional kindergarten only), weather (preschool, transitional kindergarten only), helpers (preschool, transitional kindergarten only) and free play

• Afternoon Circle Time: coming together, review of the day,  free play and transition activity

• Parent-Teachers’ Conferences: twice a year or as needed

• Parent Involvement: classroom helper, teacher appreciation week, field trips...etc

The goal of our curriculum is to provide children with an atmosphere that stimulates and promotes learning, encourages curiosity, exploration, problem solving, and self-expression through hands-on activities. Children are unique and are at different level, therefore; each age group has their own level of learning and is different per each age group. Our curriculum is incorporated into the day using the best from current and past educational theories including: Developmentally Appropriate, Thematic System, Multiple Intelligence and Traditional. Curriculums concentrate on activities that are designed to help children to reach their developmental milestones.