Swinging Monkeys & Giraffes Classrooms

           Our Swinging Monkeys and Giraffes classrooms are environments that were designed to guide the very young child’s smooth transition from toddlerhood to preschool age. Children around the age of two are very active and require a lot of attention since they are working on becoming potty trained and learning so many new things about their world every day. Therefore, the classroom is staffed one teacher for every five children with each class serving a maximum of ten children at a given time. Children who transition from our Turtle Tots class will move to either the Monkeys or Giraffes class, depending on where we have space available.

           Most of the children in this classroom are able to communicate effectively with their peers and teachers, ready to transition from wearing diapers to underwear, and can follow simple directions. Their capacity to sit and attend during circle time or in an organized activity is increasing. While the classes will be separate, the two groups of children will interact on a routine basis throughout the day. For example, the children will share learning centers, eat together, and participate in group activities. The Monkeys and Giraffes will also combine in the early part of the morning and the late afternoon, when the numbers justify a combination. By operating in this way, the children in each of these classrooms will get to know all of their peers and all of the teachers. This should facilitate later moves to the Busy Bugs class.

           The teachers of the Swinging Monkeys and Giraffes Classrooms aim to foster communication between children and their teachers and peers and to encourage positive learning experiences as part of their inclusive curriculum. Over the course of a day, the children engage in circle time, story time, center time, gross and fine motor and outdoor activities in small and large groups in addition to free time for guided exploration. They are also invited to participate in a music and movement class on Tuesdays and a music class on Wednesdays for an additional fee.

           Each day, parents are provided a report that informs them of the activities the child was involved in, what they ate, and how long and how well the child slept. Parents are also invited to view their child over the course of the day through our webcam.

Brenda- Lead Teacher- Swinging Monkeys

lead teacher

           Brenda joined Bright Start in October 2007 and after a short break, she has returned to us to become the Mentoring Lead in our Swinging Monkeys Class. She loves working with children and has been working and attending trainings in Early Childhood Development at Bright Start for 2 years. Brenda’s favorite things to do with the children are art projects, singing, playing with them, and teaching them good manners. She currently lives in Alexandria and in her free time she likes walking her dog, listening to music, reading, biking, and spending time with her family.

Yessica- Lead Teacher- Giraffes


           Yessica is the Lead Teacher in our Giraffes Class. Yessica has been in child care for over 5 years. She began as a church volunteer and progressed to volunteering in many after school programs, such as going to local kindergartens and reading books for the children. Yessica has attended many training classes and is currently enrolled in a class to obtain her CDA. She will be completing the application process to receive her CDA this spring. Yessica loves interacting with the children especially when it comes to dramatic play. She loves kneeling down to their level and helping to build scenarios that they can act out. She also enjoys singing with the children. Yessica currently lives in Arlington and enjoys spending quality time with her family, going shopping, and going to the movies in her time off from work.