Welcome to RPCC:
River Parkway Children’s Centre is a warm, nurturing, stimulating environment where children develop creativity, independence, co-operation, and discover the joy of learning.
River Parkway Children’s Centre is a non-profit daycare located near the neighbourhoods of Westboro, McKellar Park and Woodroffe North in Ottawa. Situated near the Kichi Zībī Mīkan in a lovely spacious setting that offers tranquillity and ample greenspace, our centre cares for 57 children ranging in age from 18 months to 6 years.
Celebrating 57 years of child care, River Parkway has been in operation since 1968. Many of our staff and dedicated early childhood educators have been with us for over 20 years.
Program Philosophy:
At River Parkway, we view all children as being competent, capable, curious and rich in potential.
To strengthen the quality of our programs and ensure high quality experiences that lead to positive outcomes in relation to children’s learning, development, health and well-being, we use the Ministry of Education documentation regarding programming and pedagogy “How Does Learning Happen?”(HDLH).
HDLH is a professional learning resource that provides a common framework to help programs focus on knowledge from research, theory and practice on what’s most important for children. It encompasses a broad range of program philosophies and approaches.
Our programs are child-centred and play-based, designed to meet the overall developmental needs of the children in the areas of socialization, emotional growth, intellectual ability, and physical maturation. With the nurturing guidance of our early childhood educators, activities each day reflect a healthy balance between play and rest, active and quiet times, structured group times and individual activities. Outdoor play is a daily feature of our program, weather permitting.
We offer the following programs, based on age:
- Toddler Program 1 (we accept 3 children under 18 months as long as they are walking)
- Toddler Program 2
- Preschool Program 1
- Preschool Program 2
Daily Schedules
Parent Handbook:
Find additional information about our Centre, the policies, and more in our Parent Handbook.
Specialty Programming:
At River Parkway Children’s Centre, we aim to provide a wide range of enriching experiences for our children, including special activities led by guest instructors.
We’ve had the pleasure of offering Music and Movement classes, where children explored their creativity through music, movement, and singing. The children loved shaking their instruments, dancing, and singing at the top of their lungs!
The centre also enjoys connecting with the community to create memorable experiences. This has included visits to the Carlingwood Branch Library for special storytimes, as well as intergenerational activities with retirement residents from Unitarian House, such as Halloween visits, a holiday sing-along, and other social events.
Throughout the year, the centre hosts family-friendly celebrations, which have included Mother’s Day and Father’s Day events, and a family picnic for the children and their families in June.
You can download some past newsletters here, to give you an idea of the monthly programming and events.
Play As You Learn
Creative Area
Children explore and acquire knowledge of a variety of materials, media and techniques, from clay to collage, to watercolour and wood gluing. This provides abundant opportunity for sensory exploration and so importantly, children’s freedom of expression. Finger paint your way to fun.
Science Area
This provides age-appropriate activities for observation, exploration, discovery and experimentation of the physical and natural world. Plants, seeds, sand, water, seashells, prisms, all contribute to children’s understanding of cause and effect, action and reaction and categorizing. Possibilities are endless as children grow with respect for our environment and the natural world. Our planet says thank you.
Imaginative Area
The house keeping area, doll play, dress-up clothing and props all promote social-emotional skills and relationships. It is through dramatic play that children learn to communicate and co-operate. They acquire socially desirable ways of interacting, playing and imagining. Who wants to be the bus driver?
Cognitive Area
Activities are provided to promote memory, problem solving language, and logical thinking through books, puzzles, games and construction activities such as Lego, unit blocks,and accessories. These hands-on experiences promote conceptual understanding and develop children’s increased attention to tasks. That’s when we hear children exclaim, “We did it!”