Diamond Street Early Childhood Center (DSECC) is an independent 501c3 non-profit charitable organization that grew out of the Christian education mission of the Akron Mennonite Church (AMC). We serve our community and honor the mission of AMC by providing high quality early childhood care and education to children from 6 weeks of age through 4th grade during various programs throughout the school year and summer break.
DSECC is committed to each student’s success in learning in a caring, responsive, and safe environment that is free of discrimination, violence, and bullying. Our staff work to ensure that all students have the opportunity and support necessary to develop to their fullest potential and share a personal and meaningful bond with people in the school community.
Relationship building is our most important daily activity. Strong relationships are the basis for developing good habits and behaviors that are safe, helpful, and kind. All children learn best from people they know and love and who know and love them.
Thoughtful and intentional care go into designing our environment, developing lesson plans and creating schedules that place relationships first, help prevent problems from developing and encourage learning readiness. Communicating consistent, clear rules and involving children in problem solving helps children develop their ability to self-regulate. We encourage children to keep themselves and others safe, show kindness to everyone and take care of both their own and shared property. These guidelines are the basis for all our center-wide and classroom specific rules which guide the children to grow into their best selves.
Vision Statement
We envision a community where Early Childhood Education is valued; families and teachers are supported; and children reach their full potential.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to support our community by providing nurturing, safe, educational childcare that emphasizes the worth and uniqueness of each child.
Values
Integrity - We seek to follow Christ’s example, creating an environment that empowers each individual to do the right thing.
Respect - We value each individual, accepting them for who they are and recognizing their strengths.
Collaboration -We welcome each person’s ideas and perspectives. Staff and families share expertise, information and resources to work towards a common goal.
Inclusion - We recognize and embrace the diversity of personalities, backgrounds, social experiences, races, and religions that makes each of us unique.
Kindness -We use our thoughts, words, and actions to encourage and uplift each other. We look for the best in everyone and everything, seeking peaceful interactions and conflict resolution in all relationships.
Excellence - We commit to the continual pursuit of the highest standards in Early Childhood Education. We successfully engage students in learning on their level and in their unique way.
Our History - A Short History of Diamond Street Early Childhood Center
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1969 a group of mothers from Akron Mennonite Church started a mom’s and child preschool time.
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1970 – the preschool opened to the public with 15 students and was named Diamond Street Pre-School.
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1988- In response to parent requests, a daycare center was opened and continues to operate in the church.
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1997 – An after-school program was opened and the name of the center was changed to Diamond Street Early Childhood Center (DSECC)
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2001 – DSECC opened a full-day, five-day-a-week private registered kindergarten. This program works in conjunction with the before and after-school program.
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2002 – DSECC became separately incorporated as a 501 c 3 nonprofit. It remains a mission of Akron Mennonite Church, but operates with a board of directors that includes church, parent, and community representatives.
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2004 – DSECC added Spanish instruction and also participates in the International Visitor Exchange Program sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee, which brings teachers from other countries to DSECC. These endeavors plant seeds of peace and help children celebrate diversity.
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2008 – DSECC earned a Keystone STAR 4 rating for its high quality program.
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2011 – DSECC opened a new site for kindergarten and school age children at 105 N 11th street in Akron.
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2012 – DSECC started a program, Early Childhood Innovative Connections, to bring independent ECE programs together to find ways to share administrative services.
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2013- DSECC earned NAEYC accreditation!
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2016 – DSECC expanded our classrooms at 1311 location and moved our kindergarten and school age back so that all our classes were under one roof. Also in 2016, DSECC was approved to house a state funded Pre-K Counts Classroom.
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2022 - DSECC expanded once again, adding an additional school age before and after care classroom as well as an additional Pre-K Counts Classroom.
DSECC is licensed through the State under the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL). We maintain licensing through annual State inspections to ensure compliance and regular internal reviews. Our quality control is overseen by the PA Keys STARS. Currently DSECC has achieved and maintains a STAR 4 rating, which is the highest possible rating under this program. For more information regarding the PA Keys STARS program, visit pakeys.org.
Philosophy of Faith Development
DSECC strives to provide a Christian environment constant with the Anabaptist mission of Akron Mennonite Church. Here children experience God's love through the warmth, respect and acceptance modeled by our teachers.
Children learn peacemaking skills through experience and intentional teaching as we guide them in social-emotional development. Bible stories are told to encourage each child's sense of wonder and to help them understand our world. Teachers model both reverence in mealtime prayer and the joy we imagine Christ experienced when he interacted with children.
Philosophy of Learning Readiness and Student Success
At DSECC, children experience learning through play and grow in their social-emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Families will feel supported and nurtured through staff efforts to support each individual child.
There are many sources of toxic stress in our community that can affect the wellbeing of children in our care. While toxic stress is not present in the lives of all of our children, the resiliency skills that we teach and the steps we take to ensure children are ready to learn will provide a stable foundation for all children. Staff will be trained to watch for learning readiness before expecting students to engage in learning opportunities such as circle time or small groups where it is necessary for children to self-regulate to pay attention to what is being taught. Supports ensure that if dysregulation occurs, students can work alongside a trained and caring teacher to return to a state of learning readiness.
Children enrolled in our programs will gain competence in peaceful conflict resolution, appreciation of diversity, and respect for others through an environment of cooperation and compassion. Teachers are valued for the important contribution they make to a child’s learning and development each day. Teachers are required to take professional development trainings throughout the year to assist with the ongoing requirements and regulations of the PA Department of Health and PA Keystone STARS but also to ensure that they are competent at meeting the ever-changing needs of children in our care.
Curriculum Statement
All of our programs use The Creative Curriculum®. The philosophy of The Creative Curriculum® is that young children learn best by doing.
The Creative Curriculum® is built on theories of development in young children, that all children learn through active exploration of their environment and therefore the environment plays a critical role in learning.
The goal of the Creative Curriculum is to help children become independent, self‐confident, inquisitive, and enthusiastic learners by actively exploring their environment.
The curriculum identifies goals in all areas of development: Social/Emotional, Cognitive, Physical and Language. The planned activities, the organization of the environment, the selection of toys and materials, the daily schedule, are all designed to accomplish the goals and objectives of the curriculum.