About Us

RTELC History


The Rose Tree Early Learning Center officially opened our doors on July 1, 2021 as an independent 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. Located at 145 W. Rose Tree Rd. in Media, PA, we continue the tradition of quality education and care previously provided by Rose Tree Day School.

Since 1979, Rose Tree Day School has operated as part of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County (UUCDC), falling under the church’s religious status as a non-profit organization. In October 2020, after careful consideration of both the church’s current and future evolution and the increasing complexities of running a day school, the UUCDC’s board made the determination to cease operations of the Rose Tree Day School effective June 30, 2021.

For more than 40 years, Rose Tree Day School has provided exemplary early childhood learning programming to the local community led for the past 30 years by Director, Andrea Sampson and Educational Coordinator, Marianne Conway. With the need for the type of high-quality programming and safe and nurturing environment that Rose Tree Day School provides at an all-time high, the decision was made to incorporate the school as its own independent entity under the continued leadership of Ms. Sampson and Ms. Conway bearing the new name of Rose Tree Early Learning Center (RTELC).

Statement of Philosophy:


Rose Tree Early Learning Center believes it is the right of all children to develop to their fullest potential. RTELC provides an environment that fosters the child’s total development. We encourage a child to learn to be capable, self-confident, sensitive, independent, and inventive with the strength and courage to meet this challenge by encouraging mental and physical growth. Our center provides a relaxed atmosphere that invites the child to explore and discover.

We believe that play enables children to test out their hypotheses about the real world. Play is the surest, fastest path to learning, self-confidence, and the mastery of many skills. Play situations generate cooperation and independence. Through play, we feel that children will discover and invent many things by themselves.

Mission:


The Rose Tree Early Learning Center is dedicated to deliver an exemplary early childhood educational experience in a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment for children and families in Delaware County, PA. Working with our families and community, we promote inclusion, diversity, compassion and support to help children prepare for a lifelong love of learning. Distinguished by teaching excellence, RTELC is committed to ensuring that the needs and strengths of each child are realized.

Vision:


Early education for children to have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.

Core Values:

  • Excellence:
    • Achieving accreditations, reflecting on all practices, continued quality improvement and through continued dialogue on emerging criteria we aspire to achieve excellence .

  • Children:
    • The interests, needs and strengths of children are our first priority. We strive to provide children the opportunity to develop and learn in an environment that is safe, nurturing, stimulating and responsive to individual differences to afford them to reach their fullest potential and become future leaders and contributing members of our community.

  • Family:
    • We believe that a child’s family is the first teacher. Through forming partnerships and mutual sharing of information and communication regarding children and their families, RTELC is able to provide the best educational opportunities for children.

  • Teachers:
    • Teachers are role models to children, offer guidance and dedication and give young people the power of education.

  • Community:
    • When, as a community, we make sure that everyone can reach their potential and fully contribute to our communities, everyone benefits. Maximizing the potential of children, people who are our neighbors, our workforce, and our civic body ensures that our communities remain vibrant places to live, work, and play. Inclusion and Diversity: We honor and support diversity and inclusiveness in our children, families, staff, community and nation.

  • Advocacy:
    • The earliest years of a child’s life are a crucial time for learning—and right now is a crucial time for us to advocate for the future of our children, families and economy. As advocates for quality early care and education, we focus on creating awareness, building support, working for change, developing professionalism and promoting child and family issues.

  • Collaboration:
    • The RTELC staff create an inclusive collaboration of educators, families and community workers, which expands our perspectives, allows us to work through differences and facilitate novel approaches. Collaborative planning supports continuity and positive transitions within and between early childhood settings, as well as enhancing holistic and integrated approaches to achieving learning and development outcomes.

  • Professionalism:
    • It is vital that we are seen as professionals in our field. Early childhood professionals are individuals who promote high standards for themselves. We make sure that we are doing absolutely the best that we can for young children. All RTELC members follow the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct.
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RTELC Administration

Letter from Administration


Rose Tree Early Learning Center launched in the summer of 2021, after being known as Rose Tree Day School for more than 40 years. We have educated hundreds of young children and supported their families, always guided by the highest quality standards.

Our dynamic Board of Directors bring years of demonstrated success to RTELC. These professional individuals share their strong expertise in community relations, marketing, licensing, finance, education, health, and quality assurance. We share a deep understanding of the mission and the vision of Rose Tree Early Learning Center and work together to make it come to fruition.

As RTELC’s Executive Director, I want you to know that despite tremendous challenges brought on by the pandemic, we continue to provide Preschoolers, Pre K’s, and Kindergarten children with high-quality early care and education. We balance the needs of our community with RTELC’s unwavering commitment to high-quality early care and education. Our exceptional teaching team fosters the child’s social, physical, intellectual, emotional, and creative development, all within the context of the family. This foundation best prepares a child to flourish throughout school and life.

I look forward to meeting each of you in the upcoming years and having the opportunity to grow together for our children. In the meantime, I hope you will visit our website often for announcements and updates, and be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram!

Thank you,

Andrea Sampson
Executive Director
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Program


The Rose Tree Early Learning Center offers a program which enriches the world of each child and augments what a child learns at home. Our curiculum is individualized to meet the unique needs of all learners and incorporates Social and Emotional, Gross and Fine Motor, Language, Cognitive and Self-Help Developmental areas. The teachers foster children's natural curiosity and energy into learning, and help to instill a lifetime love for learning, sense of independence, self-confidence and caring for each other and the community.

Learning areas are set up in the classrooms and facility to encourage exploration and learning and include, but are not limited to:

  • Library and Reading
  • Water and Sand Play
  • Dramatic Play
  • Blocks and Manipulatives
  • Science and Nature
  • Cooking
  • Social Studies
  • Art
  • Music
  • Writing
  • Large Gross Motor


Licensing and Accreditation


Rose Tree Early Learning Center is licensed by the Department of Human Services. RTELC is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and maintains 4 stars in Pennsylvania’s quality rating and improvement STARS program.

Hours of Operation


Full day: 7:45 AM to 5:15 PM
Half day: 7:45 AM to 12:30 PM
All families are asked to arrive by 9:00. Half day pick up is between 12:15-12:30 PM.
Kindergarten begins at noon.

Flexibility of Schedules


Children can attend a 2, 3, 4 or 5-day preschool/pre-k program. Programs are available for the traditional school year, full year round, or summer session.

Ages Served and Classroom Ratios


Preschool:

In our youngest classroom, children must be at least 3 years old. All children must be fully potty-trained. Staff to child ratio 1 to 6.

Pre-K:


Serves children who are 4 years old turning 5 during the school year. Staff to child ratio 1 to 7.

PM Kindergarten:


Serves children who are 5 years old by August 31st. The Rose Tree Media School district will provide transportation from Media and Rose Tree Elementary Schools. Staff to child ratio 1 to 8.

Preschool

In our preschool classroom, we utilize a teacher created curriculum that is cross-walked to Pa’s Early Learning Standards. Our experienced teachers provide diverse and developmentally appropriate experiences to meet the varied learning styles, backgrounds, interests and needs of each child. The teachers provide play opportunities that allow your child to learn and explore the world around them while investigating early learning concepts, socialization and being a member of a new community. Children will learn and discover their interests through collaboration with the teacher and peers in small and large groups as well as in individual learning.

Pre-K

In our Pre-k classrooms, the teachers build upon and continue to develop the children’s knowledge and skills including promoting independence, cooperation, creativity, curiosity, sharing, self-regulation and problem solving in preparation for Kindergarten. Through using hands on materials and providing varied opportunities for play and exploration, we utilize a teacher created curriculum based on PA’s Early Learning Standards to address all areas of a child’s development. Our pre-k program includes a balanced curriculum of fun and innovative activities with emphasis placed on providing developmentally appropriate activities and experiences so all children grow and learn at their own pace.

Kindergarten

In our PM Kindergarten Program, we realize that Kindergarteners are in between early childhood and elementary years so we provide a wide range of experiences to support the children’s interests and needs while providing a supportive and nurturing environment. The children have both indoor and outdoor daily opportunities for play allowing the children time to choose activities and to foster children’s curiosity, relationships, independence and creativity. By utilizing a teacher created curriculum, based on PA’s Kindergarten Standards, the teachers use small group and individualized instruction to fulfill all Kindergarten requirements, while having the flexibility to use various teaching strategies to meet the diverse learning styles of our Kindergarteners. Our low child/teacher ratios provide daily opportunities for small group writing, reading, journaling, hands-on math, science, social studies, computer, art, music, gross motor and fine motor activities. RTELC is in the process of completing the licensing process to retain our PA Department of Education status.

Health and Safety


  • RTELC is a secured, locked facility. Parents use a keypad and code to access building.

  • RTELC updates and maintains an approved Emergency Plan.
    • The emergency plan is reviewed annually and updated as needed. This report is filed with Delaware County and Upper Providence Township. We work closely with the Upper Providence police and fire department to maintain safety policies and procedures.

  • All staff and volunteers have all state required clearances and trainings.
    • Clearances: FBI Background Check with Fingerprinting, PA Criminal History, Child Abuse, NSOR
    • First Aid and CPR Trainings
    • Fire Safety Annual Training
    • Mandated Reporter Training

  • RTELC maintains a license through the Department of Human Services and follows all the Childcare Center regulations. The regulations can be accessed here:
    • PA Code Title 55, CHAPTER 3270, CHILD CARE CENTERS

  • All RTELC staff, volunteers and children are required to have a valid health assessment on file.

  • Health policies are reviewed and updated continuously by a Healthcare professional. These policies are shared with the RTELC community.

  • Pandemic Response: COVID 19 Information: RTELC utilizes a multifaceted, layered approach to reduce the risk of airborne virus transmission, minimize exposure and spread of the virus including
    • All staff, children and families wear masks while on the premises. Masks are removed for eating and sleeping.
    • Increased outside air ventilation
    • Reduced class sizes to lessen crowding and allow for increased spacing between children
    • Individual tables for children to allow for additional spacing (6 feet between children)
    • Segregation of classes to reduce exposure amongst children and families
    • Increased cleaning and disinfection throughout the day and at the end of sessions
    • Inside building access limited to children and staff
    • All staff are required to be fully vaccinated.
    • Health check performed at drop off and throughout the day
    • Effective and ongoing communication between families and staff regarding policies, exposure and testing
    • Compliance with recommendations of CDC regarding COVID protocols and procedures
    • Attendance at state and local meetings regarding pandemic policies
    • A full copy of all Pandemic policies are available by contacting RTELC
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    Support Rose Tree Early Learning Center

    Ways to Give



    There are so many ways to inspire a love of learning for young children in our community. By making a donation or offering your in-kind or volunteer support, you are helping Rose Tree Early Learning Center realize its important mission to:

      Deliver an exemplary early childhood educational experience in a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment for children and families in Delaware County, PA.
    Every gift, no matter the size, is 100% tax deductible* and goes right to work supporting our wonderful school. Your support today will help ensure our program and our children can flourish for years to come through high quality learning opportunities that are experiential, emergent, and communal.
      • Online & Monthly Giving
      One-time, recurring or monthly gifts can be made online using our secure payment processing system.


      • Gifts of Cash
      Personal checks and/or credit card payments are the most popular ways to make a gift to RTELC. Simply mail a check made payable to “The Rose Tree Early Learning Center” or call us with your credit card information at 610-565-4505. Please mail checks to Rose Tree Early Learning Center, 145 West Rose Tree Road, Media, PA 19063.

      • Matching Gifts
      Many companies match employee gifts. Contact your human resources office to find out the necessary steps to submit a match request. We are happy to do whatever is necessary on our end to help with this.

      • Volunteering & In-Kind Donations
      If you would like to volunteer services or expertise or would like to make an in-kind donation, please contact RTELC at 610-565-4505.

    *Rose Tree Early Learning Center is a registered 501(c)3 organization (EIN #85-3994788). Gifts are tax deductible as allowable by law. Please consult with your tax advisor about the tax deductibility of your donation.

    Thank you for supporting RTELC!

    Rose Tree Early Learning Center
    145 Rose Tree Road, Media, PA 19063
    Phone: (610) 565-4505
    Fax: (610) 565-3275
    Email Us