Circle of Life Philosophy

The CLC philosophy weaves the affirmations of Unitarian Universalism into a developmentally-appropriate and cooperative environment that promotes healthy, happy children.

A developmentally-appropriate environment is based on an understanding of child development. The National Association for the Education of Young Children has set standards to establish such an environment and CLC fully supports and strives to achieve these standards. Our CLC Philosophy recognizes the individuality of every child and as such, we create a safe, caring, and stimulating environment that meets the unique needs of preschool age chidren.

The cooperative nature of the CLC reflects our acknowledgement that in addition to trained staff, parents bring richness to the program and are an integral part of its success. The preschool, and everyone involved, benefit from a cooperative environment. Children feel a sense of belonging to a larger community when they are cared for by parents other than their own. Parents are rewarded by becoming intimately involved in their children's education, and teachers gain personal insight into those they teach when working side by side with parents.

In coordination with the UU Congregation of Frederick, the CLC affirms:

  • The inherent worth and diginity of every person
  • Justice, equality and compassion in human relations
  • Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations
  • A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
  • The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large
  • The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all
  • Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part
  • Unitarian Universalist Principles

    *a children's version*

    We, the members of the Unitarian Universalist Church believe that:

  • all people are important
  • we accept other people and help them to grow
  • we figure out for ourselves what is true and good
  • we do what our consciences tell us is right
  • people have a right to vote about things that concern them
  • we work for peace and freedom everywhere and try to make the world one family
  • we take care of the earth which gives us life
  • In our cooperative we learn from and get our beliefs from many sources:

  • our own sense of wonder of life
  • the Jewish and Christian religions and many other religions from around the world
  • knowledge gained by people through science and reason
  • the lives of people who have worked to make the world a better place
  • our thoughts and experiences
  • We are glad we can come together to help and support each other in our efforts to grow and live good lives.

    Our Unitarian Universalist Cooperative strives:

  • To create a supportive social community within the classroom in which each child is a respected and valued member of the group
  • To encourage children to reflect at an age-appropriate level on their beliefs about God, religion, social issues, social responsibility, and community
  • To help children become principled, ethical people who act upon these values and to recognize and celebrate diversity
  • To teach about the beliefs and practices of Unitarian Universalism in addition to other religious traditions