Murrieta University

Check out our new and improved center!!

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:14:21 +0000

Come by and see all of our changes! We try to make sure our center is unique while be warm and inviting. We want the children to feel at home while they are at school. We are so excited for all of our updates!!!

Changes

admin — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 01:21:26 +0000

If you are a current parent at MU, I am certain you have noticed some changes at Murrieta University. We have been updating and improving our center every week. We still have lots to do, but wow, it looks great already.

I don’t know if parents realize how much thought goes into the center. Miss Brandi and I kept racking our brain trying to figure out what to do with our infant playground. FINALLY, instead of looking at playground catalogs or purchasing “regular” outdoor equipment, we decided to make a list of what infants and toddler love to do! Pour and dump, open and shut, push and pull, so we took this into consideration when adding our mailboxes, rain gutter pouring station and new “grass” to our outdoor area. Think outside the box, is what we kept saying to each other! I recently visited Silverado Trading Post in Rainbow. What a great place to use your imagination, street signs, lamp covers, shutters, windows, and even a screen door! Just wait to see what we do with all this!

Murrieta University, a place where our heart is in every single classroom.

Miss Julie

Christmas hangover!

admin — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 18:14:50 +0000

Fellow Moms and Dads, we SURVIVED! We made it through the anticipation of our children’s excitement, shopping, wrapping, planning, unwrapping, and of course cleaning up! Or what about all those dreaded little twisty things? Or even worse the little tiny screws that keep that anticipated toy in the box, I mean “who has a screwdriver that small!”. So while you are searching through every junk drawer in your house, your child is bouncing up and down saying “open it, open it”. Then, when you finally get the darn thing open you realize that it needs a 9 volt battery, the ONLY battery you did not purchase in bulk at Costco! After your childrenhave torn through every present in your house, they ask “when are we going to Grandma’s to open gifts there?” I want to know what happen to their manners? Gosh is this embarrassing, right? I blame all of this behavior on the Christmas Hangover! The anticipation, the threats of no toys, the candy, cookies, cakes, visitors and everything else leading up to Christmas. The day finally comes and wham o, the downer that it is over! It’s really not their fault. They can’t help it!

A couple of other things that I learned this Christmas…

Slinkys are a waste of money, I have yet to see one that does not get twisted within 5 minutes

Any spray art item, gel bug maker thing, playdough, bendaroos, etc are better left for preschool

Oh, and for those of us who have older children… we have the after shopping with gift cards to look forward to! UGH!

Wow, how my child has changed!

admin — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:48:40 +0000

Being the owner of 2 child development centers, I get a lot of pressure regarding academic versus child center, play based, emergent curriculum. I will often have parents ask me why we don’t do dittos, worksheets or flashcards. Imagine, we don’t actually force the kids to sit down while doing an activity! Well, every now and then I will wonder “have I chosen the right style of curriculum for my centers?” I will actually second guess my own beliefs! I will think to myself, should I just give in to all the parents that want a more “academic” curriculum, give them what they want? Then something will happen… I will have a child confirm what we believe in!

My own son, who is now in pre-kindergarten, is a prime example. I will be honest with you! I do not do much work with him at home. I am a full time working mom and I am tired when I get home! Last summer he showed NO interest in letters, numbers or writing! I was a little worried. I started second guessing myself again, after all he was already 4 and isn’t that the magic age for learning how to do phonics and write??? What was wrong with my kid? What were people going to think? Then the school year started and guess what? He has found a new love for letters, numbers, sounds and writing, to the point where he is driving me crazy with “what sound does that letter make? or how do you write that?” Okay so I will admit, he is a little obsessed with superheros and he is constantly asking me what superhero starts with the letter of the week. I tell myself who cares! He is interested which means he is learning! I was worried for nothing! When the time is right, it will come to them. They have so many years to learn “academics”! Take a moment to remember how much fun it was to be a kid!

P.S. Do you think we could think of a superhero or villain for every letter of the alphabet? I was thinking of making a new letter chart! HAHA!

The benefits of an established center…

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:43:46 +0000

I know that anything “new” always looks more appealing to parents. Especially, a new child care center. BUT, there is something to be said about an established center! Murrieta University has been a staple in the community for the last 16 years. Some of our “alumnis” have already graduated high school! We don’t do much advertising because most of our business comes from siblings and refferls of friends and families.

As I walk in to the school I see the smiling faces of my teachers whom have been with me for 10+ years. I look around and I see character in each classroom, do you know how long it took us to find that bathtub? Our Let’s Build classroom has more manipulative’s than Lakeshore Learning store! I walk up and down the hall that has been painted more times than I can count on one hand, and smile as I see pictures of all the children in the center having fun! Our curriculum has changed to accommodate the needs and desires of the children. Our center has continuously evolved to become what it is today. I have to say I proud of Murrieta University and all of the children and staff that have come and gone. I know that we have made the difference in many lives of many children in our little town of Murrieta.

Murrieta University is stronger than ever and going strong, we are a well tuned, well oiled machine! If you are a potential parent, we cannot wait to meet you…

Fall Enrollment

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:53:11 +0000

Come one come all don’t let your kids miss out on the coolest school for fall!!! Spaces are becoming very limited so if you haven’t enrolled hurry down to Murrieta University or French Valley University Preschool. Don’t be the parent that let’s your preschooler miss out on the time of their lives.

What We Did In Let’s Pretend Today…

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:29:21 +0000

When I walked by the Let’s Pretend Room I was asked if I wanted a pedicure and of course I said yes. What girl turns down a pedicure.So while my toes were drying I also received a pink princess tattoo on my left leg from my friend Kylie who told me “this is a tattoo and it will never ever come off” I gladly said” thank you I love it”, and then she had a great idea to use the blow dryer to dry my new (pretend) tattoo. These kids are so smart!!! While I was being pampered in the salon I witnessed some Pirates walking the plank and needing to replace a hand or two, so they went over to the Doctors Office and while waiting in the waiting room the Pirates had a Tea Party to help pass the time. What it is to be 3 and let your imagination run wild!!!!

Info for fall enrollment

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:28:39 +0000

On June 1st at 9 AM we will begin to hold spaces for fall enrollment. Spaces are based on availability only. On or after June 1st you may visit the center and hold a space for your child with the non-refundable $75.00 registration fee. You must start at the center no later than August 30th ie. we will only hold your space until August 30th. We look forward to meeting you soon!

Summer Camps for ages 2.5 to 6!

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:22:26 +0000

Summer boredom got your preschooler down? Try one of our Summer Camps! You do not have to be registered to take advantage of one of these fun camps!

Present… University Kid Kamps

Fun for ages 2 (potty trained) to age 6

The following camps will be offered:

June 28^th-July 2nd Mad Lab (Science)

July 12^th-July 16^th Icky Sticky (Sensory)

July 19^th-July 23^rd Mad Lab (Science)

July 26^th-30^th Let’s Create (Art)

August 2^nd-August 6^th PreK refresher (for children attending kindergarten)

Time: 9AM to Noon

When: Monday-Friday

Cost: $100.00 per week

$25.00 non refundable deposit to hold your space

(deposit goes towards first week)

NO registration or materials fee! Snack included!

Only 12 spaces per camp available, register soon.

All my child does at preschool is play!

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:05:53 +0000

On a weekly basis we have several prospective parents come and tour our center. I am very proud of both Murrieta and French Valley University’s staff and curriculum. However, I sometimes feel as if I am defending the way we do “things” around here. I often hear “there is just not enough structure” or “it looks like all they are doing is playing” or even “there is just not enough academics for my child”. What does all that mean exactly? Maybe I have been in this industry for so long that I lost focus… I thought children were supposed to play, I thought children were supposed to have fun! Most people as adults, don’t have that much “fun” anymore. Maybe an occasional night out with friends or even a vacation once a year. I am lucky because I have fun at work. I enjoy watching how much fun the children have at our centers. I see smiles all day long. I see children that aren’t ready to go home there having so much fun. But guess what? They are learning, every minute of the day. How, do you ask? Because they are only 2, 3, 4 and 5 they haven’t been in this world all that long. So wouldn’t every day, every new thing they see, touch or explore be a new experience to them? The children at Murrieta and French Valley University learn new things every day! We just don’t make them sit down and do dittos or look at flash cards to do it!

Julie Van Gaale /Owner