Deion Cowan
Director and Fours room teacher
Deion opened Buckeye Porch and teaches the Fours room. He is at the porch door most mornings, and he is the one who answers when you call the school.
Play-based preschool in Cleveland Heights
Story time, block towers and a long morning of play
Buckeye Porch is a neighborhood preschool for children ages 2 to 5, run by Deion Cowan and a team of eight. The day is built around play, a snack, the yard and a story.
A day at Buckeye Porch
From the porch door to pickup
Play fills most of the morning, with a snack, the yard and a story in between.
- 9:00 a.m.
Step 1: Arrival
A teacher meets each child at the porch door. Coats go on low hooks, and a first game is already waiting at the blocks, the art table or the book nook.
- Morning
Step 2: Play inside
A long stretch of free play with blocks, dress-up, paint and the water table. Teachers join in, ask questions and let the children lead.
- Mid-morning
Step 3: Snack
Children sit down together at low tables, pour their own water and talk over what they have been building.
- Late morning
Step 4: The yard
Out every day the weather allows, in boots when it is wet. The yard has a sand pit, a mud kitchen and a garden bed.
- Before noon
Step 5: Story and song
The whole room gathers on the rug for a book, a song and a game, then gets ready to go.
- 12:00 p.m.
Step 6: Pickup or lunch
Morning children go home. School-day children eat lunch from home, rest or play quietly, and head out to the yard again until 3:00 p.m.
The team
The people in the rooms
Eight adults work at Buckeye Porch: a lead teacher and an assistant in each room, a floating teacher and an administrator. Three of the teachers are here.
Olin Lapointe
Threes room teacher
Olin leads the Threes room, where block towers, dress-up and a long story circle fill the morning. He brings his guitar out for song time.
Tasneem Usmani
Twos room lead teacher
Tasneem leads the Twos room, where the routines are short and the art table stays out so a child can come to it whenever they are ready.
Programs
A room for each age, and three ways to spend the week
| Ages | Adults to children | Group size | Three mornings9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.Monday, Wednesday and Friday | Five mornings9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.Monday to Friday | School day9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Monday to Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twos room2-year-oldsA room of their own, with a lead teacher and an assistant | 1 adult to 7 children | 14 | Offered | Offered | Not offered |
| Threes room3-year-oldsBlocks, dress-up and the long story circle | 1 adult to 12 children | 24 | Offered | Offered | OfferedLunch from home |
| Fours room4-year-oldsThe room for the year before kindergarten | 1 adult to 14 children | 24 | Not offered | Offered | OfferedLunch from home |
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Holds a place and covers the enrollment file.
- Extended care
- Covers the early hours before 9:00 a.m. and the late hours after pickup, until 5:30 p.m.
- Supplies
- Covers art materials and the replacing of worn toys and books through the year.
Doors open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 5:30 p.m. Families who need the early or late hours can ask about extended care at a tour.
Sample programs.
Dates
The school year at a glance
Tours run all year, enrollment opens in January and the first day is in late August.
This school year
Open house
October
A Saturday morning with all three rooms open, so you can see where a child would spend the day.
Tours
All year
A tour is a weekday morning in the rooms, and children are welcome to come along.
Book a tour- Applications open
Enrollment opens
January
The application takes a few minutes and asks about your family and the schedule you hope for.
- Decisions
Families hear from us
March
By phone and email, with a place or a spot on the waitlist.
First day
Late August
New children start with a short morning, and a parent stays close by.
- Closed
Closed for breaks
Late December and one week in spring
The full list of closed days goes to families when the school year begins.
Sample dates.
Safety and license
Who licenses us, and how we look after the rooms
License
Licensed by Ohio DCY
Child care center license · OH License # 000000Verify
Adults to children
1 adult to 7 children
2-year-olds
Group size: 14
1 adult to 12 children
3-year-olds
Group size: 24
1 adult to 14 children
4-year-olds
Group size: 24
Group size
Up to 24 children
with 2 adults
Capacity
62
Ages 2 years to 5 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Mandated reporter training
- Food handler training
Safety routines
Arrival and pickup
A teacher greets every child at the porch door and checks them in. At pickup a child goes only with the people on your list, and we ask to see ID until we know you.
Allergies and snacks
Tell us about allergies at the tour, and we ask for the details privately once you enroll. We ask families not to send nuts, and snack is planned around what we know.
When a child is ill
A child with a fever or a contagious illness stays home. If a child gets sick at school, we call you right away and a teacher stays close until you arrive.
Drills and headcounts
We practice fire and severe-weather drills, and we count heads every time children move between the rooms and the yard.
The yard
The yard is fenced, a teacher walks it before children go out, and no child is ever out there without an adult.
Cleaning and washing
Children wash their hands on arrival and before snack. Tables, toys and the water table are wiped down every day.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
Questions from families
What ages do you take?
Children from 2 to 5 years old, in a Twos, a Threes and a Fours room. A child joins the room that matches their age on the first day of school.
What does a day look like?
Mostly play: blocks, dress-up, paint and the water table, then a snack, the yard, a story and a song.
What hours do you keep?
The doors are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. Morning programs run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and the school day runs to 3:00 p.m.
How does a tour work?
Book a tour or call the school. You see the rooms with Deion or a teacher, and children are welcome to come along.
Is Buckeye Porch licensed?
Yes. We are licensed as a child care center by Ohio DCY.
How is tuition set?
By your child's room and the schedule you choose. We go through it with every family at a tour,.
Come and see the rooms on a weekday morning
Tours run all year. Book a time, or call the school and we will find one that suits you.