CDOP has been a program of the Lee's Summit United Methodist Church for over 25 years. While we are committed to continuously improving the curriculum to meet the changing needs of our families, the main purpose of meeting the children's developmental, social and educational needs in a caring atmosphere has always remained the same. We are thankful for this opportunity with you and your child to work with you and your child to make this a successful "first school year" experience.

MISSION STATEMENT
To provide a safe, nurturing, Christian environment for children ages three through five, in which they will be encouraged to develop academically, creatively and socially. Activities are developmentally appropriate and are presented both in a structured and open-ended format.

OBJECTIVES FOR ALL AGES
Develop large and small motor skills, socialization within peer groups, musical and literary education, and creative art skills.  Independence in self care is encouraged. Academic objectives are listed according to developmental ages. These objectives are presented in a theme or unit based curriculum. Examples of units include community helpers, dinosaurs, oceans, five senses, etc.

Zebra Class Objectives (3/4 year olds): Color & shape recognition; counting & numerical skills; scissor skills; same/different, matching and opposites; name recognition; working & playing well in a peer group.

Giraffe Class Objectives (pre-K): Forming & recognizing letters of the alphabet; writing name; knowledge of address & phone number, etc.; simple math skills; beginning sounds; tracing left to right; speaking in front of a group; habitats; recognizing patterns; working & playing well in a peer group.

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
To present age appropriate stories, learning activities, arts and crafts, music, games and more that enrich a child's social, academic and creative growth. As the children approach kindergarten, more emphasis is put on the alphabet, colors, shapes, numbers, scissor skills, tracing left to right, etc. Daily lesson plans, activities, and projects are provided by the director in order to provide consistency within age groups and throughout the program. 

WEEKLY THEME
Each week has a different theme. We strive to strike a balance of activities to enhance all areas of a child's growth, while providing a safe, happy, and positive "first school experience."

CDOP meets all state guidelines and is subject to yearly inspections.