We met in 1987, working together in nonprofit educational administration. In 1997, after a decade of loving our work collaboration, we were both ready to move on professionally and start our own families.
When a friend retired from her established early childhood center, it was an opportunity for us to continue to make a difference in the world. Our goal was to create a warm and friendly environment for families, children, and staff, and a program and workplace based on our core values.
For more than 25 years, First Circle has been family-owned. We’re not a large chain or franchise where decisions are made far away from the day-to-day program. All our administrators take an active role in building relationships and a personalized approach. We’re involved in the day-to-day management of the program, and maintain an open-door policy.
We’re proud of the program, our excellent team, and the positive relationships we’ve formed with so many families and staff. We’re also greatly honored to have shared in the joy of helping hundreds of children learn, grow and thrive, preparing them for success in school and in life. Our vision is to be able to make a positive and meaningful impact on the lives of as many families, children, and staff as we can.
take a closer look
at why our warm and friendly community and innovative program are the perfect place for your child to learn, grow, and thrive!
“Amazing teachers and staff! They care so much about the children and families! They also have the best outdoor play space that I’ve seen.
We love First Circle!”
— PHYLLIS W
OUR TEAM
We are experts in helping children grow and learn
Our team of highly qualified educators are passionate about teaching and nurturing children. Throughout the day, our teachers support and nurture each child’s individual abilities and needs and create learning opportunities in every interaction they have. Our administration team ensures our program runs smoothly and meets your family’s needs.
Our staff takes the time to get to know your family and develop a partnership that ensures your child’s success. We depend on you for insight and information to guide how we can best support your child. You can depend on us to ensure that your family is part of your child’s learning experience!
We only hire the best!
Our teachers:
- are licensed by the state and meet strictly enforced state standards;
- have degrees in Early Childhood Education or a related field, and/or extensive training in implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum
All our staff have undergone a rigorous reference check, a health examination, and a criminal background check and are interviewed extensively. In addition, they:
- are provided with on-going development and training about best practices and new research in the field and
- demonstrate every day their humor and patience, enthusiasm for children’s learning, communication skills, respect for differences, and most of all, creativity and flexibility.
It’s these qualities that make our educators the best early learning partners for your child.
We love what we do and it shows!
We are very proud of our skilled team of child care professionals. We support and foster partnerships with our families, sharing information and insight about children’s progress, daily activities, and development.
Our team-teaching environment enhances collegiality and a strong team. At First Circle, staff are supported, respected and appreciated. Staff consistency is one of the cornerstones of a quality program, and we work hard to retain our staff.
These experienced and dedicated staff members are the heart of our program.
FAMILY PARTNERSHIP
We value our families
WE VALUE DIVERSITY
We’re proud of the diversity of cultures and types of families within our First Circle community. Throughout our program, we provide children with opportunities to develop awareness, acceptance and appreciation of differences.
WE VALUE SUPPORT
We understand the challenges of raising a family and the difficulty of maintaining work-life balance. First Circle was founded by two working mothers, and many of our current staff have children in the program. We aim to be as supportive as possible to our families so we offer flexible schedules, sibling, single-parent, military and first responder discounts, drop-in and early arrival/late departure options, and we are the one of the few programs that welcomes families supported by the Massachusetts child care voucher program.
WE VALUE COMMUNICATION
Communication is very important to us. Between our daily emails outlining your child’s activities, monthly newsletters, journals and portfolios, progress reports, classroom phones and email, and a parent area in each classroom, we make sure you have all the information you need to know your child is in good hands!
We value each child’s unique developmental journey
Throughout the year, we assess each child and provide parents a report about the child’s progress towards meeting developmental goals. Educators provide each family with a journal or a portfolio with photos, stories, examples of writing, art projects and anecdotes about interactions and experiences in the classroom. We’re always happy to meet with parents to discuss progress and address concerns.
WE VALUE CONFIDENTIALITY
All information contained in a child’s personal file is considered privileged and confidential. Our confidentiality policy also applies to any verbal or written communication, photographs, social networking websites, blogs and any other media used for either personal or professional use. We take your privacy very seriously.
WE VALUE OPENNESS
We have an open-program, open-door policy. We encourage parents to drop in anytime to observe, participate and offer suggestions and ideas for the program. Our administrative team is always available to answer questions or respond to your needs.
WE VALUE FUN
First Circle schedules and plans a variety of social events and opportunities for families to get involved in the program throughout the year. These events offer families a time to meet each other and socialize, as well as time to meet our staff in a relaxed environment.