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Messiah Village

100 Mt. Allen Drive
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

Call Us

717-796-8157

Hours of Operation

Mon-Fri: 6:30am-5:30pm EST

Email the Director

Mary Lee Salerno


Mary Lee Salerno

U-GRO is honored to have been chosen to serve as the childcare operator for the Messiah Village Retirement Community, opening June 20, 2011.  Our modern center is conveniently located right on the MV campus which makes it easier to serve the needs of employee families while they work.  But we also serve families not associated with MV that may just live or work in the area.  U-GRO will feature eight classrooms and an exciting outdoor playground.  It's truly a wonderful environment to learn and play!  But that's only part of the story.

The best part is our team of dedicated U-GRO teaching professionals.  They make our programs flow!  Our director leads a terrific staff of engaged individuals who enthusiastically bring the U-GRO Blended Model® curriculum to life.  And since we're located right on the MV campus, we feature an intergenerational program with our senior friends, combining their talents and life skills in daily and special events.

Please submit the 'Schedule a Visit' form on this page or give us a call. You'll find our center to be loving, warm, inviting, fun, creative and clean!  Classrooms are grouped by age so they are appropriate for your child's development and geared towards small (class) size. Click these links to view the floor plan, written testimonials, or video testimonials.

We offer full & part-time childcare, preschool, and school-age programs for children 6 weeks through 8 years of age, from 2 to 5 days a week.  All educational and childcare programs are conducted in age-appropriate classes that promote small class sizes.
The Messiah Village U-GRO in Mechanicsburg PA offers programs and activities specifically designed for each age level - infant, toddler, preschool, kindergarten and school-age - to enhance your child's skills and understandings needed to be successful in school and life.  Those areas include:
  • Sense of Positive Self and Initiative
  • Social Relations
  • Creative Representation
  • Music and Movement
  • Communication, Language and Literacy
  • Exploration, Logic and Mathematics

U-GRO is committed to provide the highest quality early childhood education through our proprietary Blended Model® curriculum.  The Blended Model® was conceived to provide a balanced approach to classroom learning.  It provides opportunities for structured activities (teacher directed) as well as investigative (child-led) discovery.  We then align our program content and goals to the Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood.

The Blended Model® curriculum is brought to life by U-GRO teachers who are positive and share a love of children.  They look for “teachable moments” and work to capture children’s interest in all they do.  By making observations throughout their planned lessons, teachers discover children’s interests.  This leads to investigations and the study of concepts that children are excited to explore.

The environment at U-GRO is well-planned and creative.  Activities support child-choice and self-directed play, small groups and circle-times with the whole group.  Classes are organized developmentally and according to age which ensures that daily lesson plans are tailored to individual needs and hands-on learning fun!

Click below to view PDF's of our Learning Goals:

  • 6:30 - 9:30 Free Choice and Small Group Activities
    • 6:30 Children Arrive (Breakfast till 8:00)
    • 7:30 Art Experience (Relating to Curriculum and Weekly Theme)
  • 8:55 Cleanup
  • 9:00 Together Time: Welcome, Calendar, Songs & Fingerplays
  • 9:15 Story Time/Language Experience
  • 9:30 Snack
  • 9:45 Learning Stations: Writing, Science, Math, Sensory, Felt Board - *Small Group: Math Activity
  • 10:15 Outside Play or Walk. Creative movement
  • 11:00 Together Time: Letter of the Week Activity
  • 11:20 Movement Activity (Relating to Curriculum and Weekly Theme)
  • 11:30 Lunch
  • 12:00 Songs & Fingerplays - Story Time (Relating to Curriculum and Weekly Theme)
  • 12:30 Nap Time
  • 2:30 Wake up
  • 3:00 Snack
  • 3:20 Outside Play or Walk. Creative Movement
  • 4:00 Together Time: Theme Activity
  • 4:00 - 5:45 Free Choice and Small Group Actitivies
    • 4:20 Story Time (Relating to Curriculum and Weekly Theme)
    • 5:00 Teacher Directed Activity
    • 5:15 Songs & Fingerplays
  • 5:45 Table Activities
  • 6:30 - 9:30 Free Choice and Small Group Activities
    • 6:30 Children Arrive (Breakfast till 8:00)
    • 8:00 Diapering/Pottying
    • 8:15 Teacher Directed Table Activity
    • 8:30 Art Experience (Relating to Curriculum and Weekly Theme) - * Small Group Readiness Skills Activity
    • 9:00 Together Time: Songs & Fingerplays
    • 9:15 Story Time (Relating to Curriculum and Weekly Theme)
  • 9:30 Snack
  • 10:00 Diapering/Pottying - *Free Choice and Small Group Language Experience
  • 10:30 Outside Play or Walk. Creative movement
  • 11:00 - 11:30 Free Choice and Small Group Language Experience
    • 11:00 Together Time: Theme Related Activity
    • 11:20 Music & Movement
  • 11:30 Lunch
  • 12:00 Diapering/Pottying & Free Choice and Story Time (Relating to Curriculum and Weekly Theme)
  • 12:30 Nap Time
  • 2:30 Wake up & Diapering/Pottying
  • 3:00 Snack
  • 3:30 Outside Play or Walk. Creative Movement
  • 4:00 - 5:45 Free Choice and Small Group Actitivies
    • 4:00 Together Time: Math Concept Activity.
    • 4:15 Story Time (Relating to Curriculum and Weekly Theme)
    • 4:30 Diapering/Pottying
    • 4:45 Teacher Directed Activity
    • 5:15 Songs & Fingerplays/Story Time
  • 5:45 Table Activities
Parents are required to pack their child's lunch. We will gladly store, heat and serve lunches.
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Feb 2012

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Caterpillars visit MV Residents - Hampden Neighborhood
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6
Preschoolers: Bring in a Valentine's Day Item!
Toddlers: Send in a Photo of Someone Special to your Child!
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Caterpillars work on a Friendship Quilt with MV Residents - Nittany Neighborhood
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13
Bring in a 4" x 4" square of fabric for our friendship quilt
14
Share a Lunch Treat and Dress in Red or Pink!
15
Caterpillars pass out flowers to MV Residents - Aspers Neighborhood
Picture Day - begins at 7:30
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20
Preschoolers: Bring in an Item Relating to Outerspace!
Toddlers: Bring in a Star Shaped Item
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Bring in your Child's Favorite Book
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