How to Prepare for your First Day at Each One Teach One
Starting childcare is an exciting milestone for both children and parents. This helpful first day checklist from Each One Teach One walks families through everything they need to prepare, from completing enrollment documents to packing essentials like a change of clothes, nap blanket, diapers, and wipes. Use this guide to make your child’s first day at daycare smooth, comfortable, and stress free.
Starting at a new childcare center is an exciting milestone for both children and families. At Each One Teach One, we work hard to make every child feel welcomed, safe, and ready to learn from the moment they arrive. Preparing a few things ahead of time can help your child’s first day go smoothly and allow them to settle in quickly with their teachers and classmates.
Here is a simple checklist to help you get ready for your child’s first day.
1. Complete Your Enrollment Documents
Before your child’s first day, please make sure all enrollment documents are completed and submitted. Having these forms finished ahead of time helps our staff prepare for your child’s needs, emergency contacts, and important health information. It also allows us to focus on welcoming your child rather than handling paperwork during drop-off.
2. Download the Brightwheel App
Communication with families is very important to us. We use the Brightwheel app to keep parents connected throughout the day.
Through Brightwheel you can:
Receive photos and updates about your child’s day
Message your child’s teachers
Stay informed about announcements and reminders
Track daily activities like meals, naps, and learning moments
Downloading the app before the first day ensures you are ready to stay connected from the start.
3. Bring a Labeled Change of Clothes
Children learn, play, and explore all day. Sometimes that means spills, paint, water play, or other messy fun. Please pack one full change of clothes labeled with your child’s name so teachers can quickly help them get comfortable if needed.
4. Bring a Blanket for Nap Time
Rest is an important part of a child’s day. Please send a small blanket labeled with your child’s name for nap or quiet time. Having something familiar from home can help your child feel more relaxed and comfortable during rest time.
5. Pack Diapers or Pull-Ups and Wipes
If your child is not yet fully potty trained, please send:
Diapers or pull-ups (with detachable sides)
Wipes
Detachable sides help our teachers change children quickly and safely.
A Smooth Start for a Great Year
Your child’s first day is the beginning of a wonderful journey of learning, growth, and new friendships at Each One Teach One. Preparing these items ahead of time helps our teachers provide the best care possible and ensures your child starts the day feeling comfortable and confident.
We are so excited to welcome your family to the Each One Teach One community and look forward to an amazing year together.
Not Just a Summer Camp, it’s A Different World
Each One Teach One’s 9-week summer enrichment program goes beyond childcare, it’s a transformative experience. Inspired by the 90s sitcom A Different World, our camp combines academics, weekly field trips, cultural exploration, and HBCU pride to help children learn, grow, and belong.
Every summer something special happens at Each One Teach One. This isn’t another childcare program where we just “watch children.” We’ve implemented a program to offset summer learning loss that occurs during summer break.
This year’s summer program was hosted at the Woodland Hill Impact Center in Rankin at 104 Fourth Ave. Pgh, PA 15104. We also offer transportation from our two centers, Wilkinsburg & Garfield to our new summer camp location with our Each One Teach One busses.
A Different World Theme
We pick a theme each year to encapsulate the program as a fun learning experience. This year’s theme, “A Different World,” inspired by the 90s sitcom, sets the stage for a transformative summer where students will explore new horizons and discover their own potential.
Each One Teach One’s ‘A Different World’ summer enrichment program flyer
A Different World television series aired from 1987 to 1993 as a spin-off of The Cosby Show and followed a group of students attending Hillman College, a fictional Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The show broke ground by highlighting important issues like cultural identity, higher education, self-confidence, and social responsibility.
This theme resonated with Each One Teach One because, like HBCUs, EOTO is black owned and operated. Within our theme each age group proudly carried the name of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), creating a sense of identity, pride, and belonging throughout the camp. By the end of camp many groups create a chant or hand-sign to represent their college.
Program
Our summer enrichment program is 9 weeks long with weekly field trips, fishing every Wednesday with the Anglers Fishing Club of Pennsylvania, morning academics and afternoon extracurriculars. Students are grouped together by ages for an intimate hands-on learning.
The afternoon extracurricular activities consist of a rotation of workshops such as gardening, art, magic, STEM and cooking. We’ve partnered with Chef Kevin, The Propagation Lab & Moon Shot Museum to provide specialized learning for our students.
Our Weekly Fields consisted of:
Movies - We kicked off the summer with a classic movie outing, giving students a chance to relax, bond with friends.
Gateway Clipper - For many of our campers, the Gateway Clipper ride was their first time seeing Pittsburgh from the water. Students learned about the city’s rivers and landmarks, while enjoying the views.
Pirates Game (School Age)
Children’s Museum (Preschool) - Our youngest learners explored the Children’s Museum through sensory play, art exhibits, and hands-on science activities that sparked their natural curiosity.
Science Center - This trip was a huge hit for both preschool and school-age students! They explored interactive exhibits, experienced real-world STEM concepts, and even got to visit the USS Requin submarine.
Summer campers posing outside of the Carnegie Science Center for field trip day.
Field Day - Midway through the summer, our centers came together for a day of friendly competition, teamwork, and celebration. Students participated in relay races, water games, and tug-of-war, closing out the day with a well-deserved popsicle party.
Living Treasures - At Living Treasures, campers got up close with exotic animals and learned about habitats, conservation, and animal care in an engaging outdoor setting.
Hiking - Our nature hike taught campers about local plants, wildlife, and the importance of environmental stewardship. It was a day of discovery, teamwork, and fresh air.
Cultural Fair - A highlight of the summer, our Cultural Fair gave students a hands-on opportunity to explore global traditions, music, language, and food. (See below for a full recap!)
Kennywood - To wrap up our unforgettable summer, campers enjoyed a day at Kennywood filled with laughter, rides, and shared memories.
Cultural Fair
A highly anticipated field trip is our cultural fair. We bring in food from local restaurants of different cuisines for our students to try. We’ve brought in butter chicken from People’s Indian Restaurant, churros from La Bodega & fufu & stew from African Cuisine just to name a few.
Students are given a passport at the beginning of the events. In groups they take a journey around the world learning about different countries, their culture, language and sample food from that culture. As they travel around they fill their passport with stamps from different countries.
This year our camp counselors created trifolds based on their groups HBCU name allowing students a chance to deepen their knowledge of HBCU. Counselors also appreciate the opportunity to share their experiences being on those campuses.
Our camp counselor Mr. Josh reading the Lincoln University tri-fold to a group of campers at the cultural fair.
Here’s a recap of our Cultural Fair:
Each One Teach One (@eachoneteachonepgh) • Instagram photos and videos
Don’t just send your kid to summer camp. Send them somewhere they belong, learn & thrive. Visit Each One Teach One to learn more about our program & register early before spots fill up.