Our School

Good Morning Creative Arts and Preschool (GMCAPS) is a parent-run cooperative organization with a volunteer board staffed by parents. 

The cooperative nature of our school – the integral role played by all parents – has been key to the success of our popular programs.

​History

Good Morning Preschool was established in 1981 by a group of neighbourhood parents. The toddler playgroup grew into a licensed preschool offering morning programs for two- and three-year olds and now, creative arts afterschool programs with pickups from local schools including First Avenue, Mutchmor, Corpus Cristi and Glebe Montessori.

In 2007, we changed our name to Good Morning Creative Arts and Preschool to better reflect the broader ages and stages of the children we teach.
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Philosophy

​Our goal is to provide children with a positive learning environment that enhances their level of development. Through play and guidance from registered early childhood educators (ECEs), we believe that children will develop in several key areas:
  • curiosity, initiative and independence-self-esteem and decision-making capabilities 
  • positive social interaction within their peer group
  • gross and fine motor skills 
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Funding

We are thankful to the City of Ottawa and Province of Ontario for providing and administering funding to Good Morning Creative Arts and Preschool, which supports our affordable fees and highly qualified teaching staff.
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Jobs at Good Morning

Facilities

​Good  Morning rents classroom space in Logan-Vencta Hall at 174 First Avenue where we have two large rooms for the children.

The first room is a general play room that includes various learning and playing stations for activities like arts and  crafts, dramatic play, sand and water tables, circle time, reading, and fine motor activities. Our preschool programs meet here each day, and the creative arts  after school programs also use this room.

The second room is our gross motor play area – a room  equipped with slides, big blocks, mats, and ride-on toys. The park-like setup is a fun place for the children to get some exercise and role play in some of our story-time dramatizations.
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Volunteering

Good Morning counts on the volunteer efforts of parents to assist in its operations for the Preschool Programs. Volunteering is welcome, but not required, for the other programs.

All parents of preschool students are required to volunteer some time to essential tasks and there is no opt-out fee. There are many activities to choose from, including washing classroom toys,  baking, making play-dough, assisting with fundraising, and sitting on the board.

You can indicate your preferences on the sign-up sheet included in your registration package.

Parents are NOT required to do “duty days” in our classrooms.
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Fundraising

Good Morning fundraising events are part of the annual budget process, as funds raised significantly contribute to the running of the school.

Some of our fundraising events are supported by local businesses, which bring us together as a group and raises community awareness of our school and programs.

Fundraising enables Good Morning to:
  • maintain affordable fees
  • offset our operating costs, and
  • contribute to the purchase of program supplies.

​We hold several fundraising events each year including children's plays or musical performances ( by professional troupes), bake sales, and silent auctions.

Good Morning By-Laws

If you are interested in our By-Laws, please download the PDF.
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Policies and Procedures

Please download the PDF of our Policies and Procedures (last updated in January 2018).

Covid-19 Policies and Procedures (PDF)