Muckleshoot Child Development Center

Emiley Montes, Division Director

Mission

The mission of the Muckleshoot Child Development Center is to provide quality care, culturally relevant instruction, early education, school readiness and support services to children six weeks through twelve years of age. We are committed to providing a diverse learning environment that exceeds the highest state and national accreditation standards, nurtures a professional staff, recognizes individual needs of children and provides support to their families in partnership with varied community resources.  We seek to build strong partnerships between school and home, between teachers and families and between children and their environments for the richest development of our children, their families, their school and their communities.

Philosophy
We believe that each child has unique ways of interpreting and learning about the world. We believe that an understanding and appreciation of reality - of life - is the purpose of education. We believe that this can be gained when learners study the whole of human experience, along with the parts within it.

Summary

MCDC opened in 2003 fully funded by tribal gaming tax fund dollars and founded as an Early Learning school for Muckleshoot Tribal Members.  Located in Auburn, Washington on the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation MCDC operates as a full-time school providing developmental hours Monday-Friday 8:00am-3:00pm with before and after school services from 7:00am-8:30am and 3:30pm-6:00pm.

The MCDC is situated on a five-acre site surrounded by native Pacific Northwest landscaping. The landscape plays a key educational role. It provides opportunities for a study of native plant communities, wildlife habitats and hydraulic cycles. On our land, we see how nature provides food and shelter, how precipitation collects and moves across the terrain, and how plant materials respond to seasonal changes.
 
The site is beautiful and incorporates a broad range of environments. We have distinct wetlands and a riparian environment; substantial flat areas for playfields; and an uplands forest with slopes and terraces including numerous specimen redwoods, cedars and other mature trees.

MCDC incorporates reusing and recycling into our curriculum, and into our community's everyday life. Our efforts include reducing solid waste, initiating or improving other sustainable strategies such as water and energy conservation, environmental purchasing, greenhouse gas reduction and hazardous waste reduction.

Enrollment is open to children ages 5 weeks-12 years (early child development through seventh grade) providing Whulshootseed language, art, mathematics, music, and other subject domains. Each of our students has an individual learning plan (ILP) and portfolio to plan and record their progress. By maintaining a low student to teacher ratio, we are able to use a flexible curriculum designed to meet the needs of each individual child. In an effort to reach beyond traditional schooling, we hope to inspire and encourage student exploration and creativity. The learning that takes place at MCDC is expected to exceed and be much more diverse than the state learning goals require. The MCDC family - our students, parents, staff and community - are excited and honored about our school and thank our leadership for their ongoing support making education a priority for our people and future generations.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

To provide quality child care to the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and its members that will nurture their overall development and prepare them for school readiness, kindergarten and overall academic success.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

Individuals grow, develop, and learn throughout their lives from birth and infancy through adulthood. A child's development can be measured through social, physical, and cognitive developmental milestones. If children fail to develop properly they may be unable to reach their fullest potential. However, early childhood educators, healthcare professionals and parents can work together as partners to help children grow up healthy and strong.

Therefore, the purpose of the Muckleshoot Child Development Center (MCDC) is to provide quality care, culturally relevant instruction, early education, school readiness and support services to children six weeks through twelve years of age.

Because the early years of a child's life are crucial for cognitive, social and emotional development, it is important that the Child Development Center (CDC) take every step necessary to ensure that children are in an educational setting where their social, emotional and educational needs are met at all times.

We are committed to providing a diverse learning environment that exceeds the highest state and national accreditation standards, nurtures a professional staff, recognizes individual needs of children and provides support to their families in partnership with varied community resources. 

As a result, we seek to build strong partnerships between school and home, between teachers and families and between children and their environments for the richest development of our children, their families, their school and their communities.

The MCDC Team Welcomes you & Honors you!!!!