“I expected a checklist on my tour. Miss Olive sat on the floor with me and the children for the whole visit, and that told me what I needed to know.”
Shonda F.Parent of a three-year-old
Play-based preschool
A morning of play, a song and a teacher close by
Jute is a small play-based preschool in Clinton for children ages 2 to 4. Mornings are long stretches of play, then a guitar song on the rug, a story and a snack, and every room has teachers sitting on the floor with the children.
Olive Boyer
Director and teacher
I taught in public school classrooms for most of my working life. I opened Jute for the part of a school day I missed most: children playing, and a teacher watching closely.
I can't tell you what your child will have learned by June. I can tell you what they will be doing on a Tuesday, who will be sitting beside them, and that I will tell you about it at pickup.
We don't use worksheets. Children build, pour, paint, pretend and dig, and the stories and counting and songs happen inside that. My teachers and I sit on the floor, ask questions and set out something new when the play needs it.
Come on a Tuesday or Thursday morning and watch. You will know in an hour whether this is a place for your child.
What you will find in our rooms
- Long stretches of uninterrupted play
- A story and a song every day
- A teacher on the floor, not at the desk
- Mud, water and paint, and clothes for it
Programs
Programs by age and schedule
Two rooms, two teachers on the floor in each, and the same unhurried morning in both.
| Ages | Adults to children | Group size | Three mornings8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.Monday, Wednesday and Friday | Five mornings8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.Monday to Friday | School day8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Monday to Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seedling room2-year-oldsThe twos have a room of their own | 1 adult to 12 children | 12 | Offered | Offered | Not offered |
| Garden room3-year-oldsThrees and fours share the big room | 1 adult to 14 children | 24 | Offered | Offered | OfferedLunch from home |
| Garden room4-year-oldsThe oldest children in the room | 1 adult to 16 children | 24 | Offered | Offered | OfferedLunch from home |
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Opens your family's file and holds a place for your child.
- Supplies
- Paint, paper, clay and the loose parts we replace through the year.
- Field trips
- The bus for the spring outing to a farm.
The twos have the Seedling room. Threes and fours share the Garden room, and each room has two teachers on the floor.
Sample programs.
Our year
A year at Jute, month by month
Tours run through the year, enrollment opens in February, and families hear from us in March.
Open house
October and February · Meet Olive and the teachers, see both rooms and the yard, and ask what you like.
Tours
Tuesday and Thursday mornings · A tour takes about 45 minutes while children are playing. Children are welcome to come along.
Enrollment opens
February · The form takes a few minutes.
Families hear from us
Early March · By phone and by email, with a place or a spot on the waitlist.
Short visits
July · New families come for a short visit, one family at a time, to see the room before the first day.
First day
Early August · New children start with a short morning, with a parent close by.
Closed for breaks
Thanksgiving week, late December and spring break · We share the full list of closures at the start of the school year.
Sample dates.
Safety and license
Who licenses us, and how we look after the rooms
License
Licensed by MSDH
Child care facility license · MS License # 000000Verify
Adults to children
1 adult to 12 children
2-year-olds
Group size: 12
1 adult to 14 children
3-year-olds
Group size: 24
1 adult to 16 children
4-year-olds
Group size: 24
Group size
Up to 24 children
with 2 adults
Capacity
36
Ages 2 years to 4 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Mandated reporter training
Safety routines
Arrival and pickup
A teacher greets every child at the door and signs them in. At pickup a child goes only with the people on your list, and we ask for ID at the door until we know you.
Allergies and snacks
Tell us about allergies at the tour; we ask privately once you enroll. We ask families not to send nuts, and snack is set out in the room by the teachers.
When a child is ill
A child with a fever or a contagious illness stays home. If a child becomes ill at school, we call you right away and a teacher stays close until you arrive.
Storm days
When a tornado warning is called, teachers move the children to the inside hall, away from windows, and stay with them until it is lifted. We practice it with the children during the year.
The yard and headcounts
The yard is fenced and the gate is latched. We count heads every time children move between the rooms and the yard, and a teacher is always outside with them.
Hands and cleaning
Children wash their hands when they arrive, before snack and after the yard. Teachers clean the tables and the toys at the end of each morning.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
A morning
A morning at Jute
The order stays the same from day to day, so children know what comes next.
- 8:30
Hello at the door
A teacher greets each child by name and helps with the backpack. Children choose where to begin.
- 8:45
A long stretch of play
Blocks, the kitchen, the art table, the book corner. Teachers sit at the children's level and join in when asked.
- 10:00
Circle and story
Songs, a story with puppets and the plan for the day. Children sit as close as they like.
- 10:30
Snack
Children serve themselves at a low table, and a teacher eats with them.
- 10:50
The yard
The yard in the cool of the morning, with the mud kitchen, the sandbox and the shade.
- 11:45
Goodbye
A last song, a look back at the morning and a word with each family at the door.
Families
What families say
“He tells us about the mud kitchen at dinner, and the teachers tell us the same stories at pickup. It is nice to hear the same day from both of them.”
Terrence L.Parent of a four-year-old
“The first week was harder on me than on her. A teacher called midmorning just to say she had settled in, and I could breathe.”
Imani W.Parent of a two-year-old
Sample reviews.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Jute for, and what are the hours?
Children who are 2, 3 or 4 by the first day of the school year. Mornings run from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and the school day runs to 3:00 p.m. for threes and fours, who bring lunch from home.
How does a tour work?
Tours are on Tuesday and Thursday mornings while children are playing. You meet the teachers, see both rooms and the yard, and children are welcome to come along.
What sets tuition?
The child's age and the schedule you choose: three mornings, five mornings or the school day. We go through the figures with you on the tour.
Is Jute licensed?
Jute is licensed by the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Do children need to be toilet trained?
Threes and fours are asked to use the toilet on their own, and we help with reminders and spare clothes. Twos are welcome as they are. Tell us at the tour where your child is, and a teacher will talk it through with you.
Come and see a morning
A tour happens on a play morning. You see the rooms working, meet the teachers and ask what you like.
