Our Program
CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM (CACFP)
Hollister Child Development Center participates in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and serves meals at no separate charge to all enrolled children. The reimbursement received from the CACFP helps with our food costs, and therefore, enables us to keep our fees for care as low as possible.
INFANT AND TODDLER
Infants and toddlers (children under two years of age) will have a flexible schedule which reflects the child's individual needs. They will be given individual attention including lots of time for talking. The body position of non-mobile infants and their location in the center will be changed frequently. We will provide safe, open spaces for children who are creeping and crawling. Infants and toddlers will be encouraged to play with a wide variety of safe toys and objects.
Toddlers are natural explorers and naturally enjoys being as active as possible. At HCDC, we understand the need to provide a safe and secure play area and close supervision for our toddlers because even though they show improving skills, they lack sufficient balance, coordination and judgment. We provide age appropriate equipment, adult-led activities and free play to keep them active and facilitate their learning process. Our Toddler Option program provides a space for children aged 18 months to 30 months. Most of our infants and toddlers stay in the infant rooms until about 2 years old, however based on development and program needs a child may enter the toddler program as young as 18 months. Many of our toddler option children stay in the classroom until they are ready for preschool at age 3, however again based on development and program needs they may move into the preschool classroom as early as 31 months. Our toddler option program has a ratio of 1 teacher for every 6 children which is more than our infant program which is 1:4 and less than our preschool program which is 1:12. We have a maximum of 24 toddlers in the classroom with up to 4 staff. We focus on self help skills and beginning stages of toilet learning. The toddler option classroom also uses the RIE* philosophy and Creative Curriculum programming that is used by the Preschool program.
* Magda Gerber's RIE (Resource for Infant Educarers) - The basis for this philosophical approach is Respect. Babies must not only be respected, but must be demonstrated with respect every time an interaction happens with them. To respect a child means treating even the youngest infant as a unique human being, not as an object.
Toddlers are natural explorers and naturally enjoys being as active as possible. At HCDC, we understand the need to provide a safe and secure play area and close supervision for our toddlers because even though they show improving skills, they lack sufficient balance, coordination and judgment. We provide age appropriate equipment, adult-led activities and free play to keep them active and facilitate their learning process. Our Toddler Option program provides a space for children aged 18 months to 30 months. Most of our infants and toddlers stay in the infant rooms until about 2 years old, however based on development and program needs a child may enter the toddler program as young as 18 months. Many of our toddler option children stay in the classroom until they are ready for preschool at age 3, however again based on development and program needs they may move into the preschool classroom as early as 31 months. Our toddler option program has a ratio of 1 teacher for every 6 children which is more than our infant program which is 1:4 and less than our preschool program which is 1:12. We have a maximum of 24 toddlers in the classroom with up to 4 staff. We focus on self help skills and beginning stages of toilet learning. The toddler option classroom also uses the RIE* philosophy and Creative Curriculum programming that is used by the Preschool program.
* Magda Gerber's RIE (Resource for Infant Educarers) - The basis for this philosophical approach is Respect. Babies must not only be respected, but must be demonstrated with respect every time an interaction happens with them. To respect a child means treating even the youngest infant as a unique human being, not as an object.
PRESCHOOL
Our preschool programs provide a developmentally appropriate learning environment that blend child initiated and teacher directed activities designed to promote success for every child. Developmentally appropriate activities as created by the teaching staff based on the children's abilities, needs and differences as a whole class and as individuals. As children participated in these activities, they will acquire new information, develop and master skills, organize previous learning, learn perseverance and focus, solve problems, and develop creativity and friendships. The teaching staff will guide children's learning as they facilitate the children's involvement with materials and others through play. Worksheets are not a learning tool utilized in our classrooms. It is important to remember and recognize that all areas of a child's development are interrelated. Children in our classrooms are engaged physically and mentally in activities and with materials that have been carefully selected by the teaching staff and placed in the environment to support learning. In our classrooms, children will develop positive feelings towards learning and build self-esteem as they engage in play, small group instruction and large group activities.
Free Play provides opportunities for learning and social interaction. Self-directed centers of interest are set up to allow children to independently choose activities that help them separate and adjust to the beginning of the day.
Circle Time is a more structured setting where children are asked to practice self-regulation, increase attention span, and develop listening skills. The children greet one another, record the weather, mark the calendar, sing songs, listen to stories, practice finger plays, and talk about what they would like to learn that day. We encourage children to take turns talking and listening to each other.
Activity Center Activities encourage children to freely choose any activities including art, blocks, books, computer, dramatic play, language, large motor, math, science, small motor. Specific skills checks and activities are facilitated by the teachers during Activity Center Time.
Outside Play, Creative Outside Play and Creative Movement will utilize the playground outside preschool whenever possible. Children develop their large motor and social skills during outside play. Musical activities are designed to help children explore sound and enjoy singing, listening and moving to music. By using recordings, instruments and voices, children learn rhythm, beat and pitch. Show and Tell will allow children to share their own special items from home during this activity; it is also a learning experience. Show and Tell allows children to develop language and cooperative skills in a familiar social context. The four year old class brings in items relating to the letter of the week, while the three year old class chooses any item to share.
Free Play provides opportunities for learning and social interaction. Self-directed centers of interest are set up to allow children to independently choose activities that help them separate and adjust to the beginning of the day.
Circle Time is a more structured setting where children are asked to practice self-regulation, increase attention span, and develop listening skills. The children greet one another, record the weather, mark the calendar, sing songs, listen to stories, practice finger plays, and talk about what they would like to learn that day. We encourage children to take turns talking and listening to each other.
Activity Center Activities encourage children to freely choose any activities including art, blocks, books, computer, dramatic play, language, large motor, math, science, small motor. Specific skills checks and activities are facilitated by the teachers during Activity Center Time.
Outside Play, Creative Outside Play and Creative Movement will utilize the playground outside preschool whenever possible. Children develop their large motor and social skills during outside play. Musical activities are designed to help children explore sound and enjoy singing, listening and moving to music. By using recordings, instruments and voices, children learn rhythm, beat and pitch. Show and Tell will allow children to share their own special items from home during this activity; it is also a learning experience. Show and Tell allows children to develop language and cooperative skills in a familiar social context. The four year old class brings in items relating to the letter of the week, while the three year old class chooses any item to share.
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
Our Team believes that after-school programs are important part of learning and development of school-aged children. We, at Hollister Child Development Center, offer quality enrichment programs and shall provide academic assistance, physical and social activities for students. We offer programs that are correlated with life skills and health, sports, recreation and arts as well as academic advancement. With our programs, we can help inspire students enjoy learning and improve school performance.
We encourage students to express themselves creatively and develop self-confidence by providing them opportunities of doing so. We believe that learning is still continued after school as a child thinks, collaborates and solves problems anywhere. Our after-school programs are monitored by professional educators and child care providers.
Enrichment includes indoor activities such as reading, arts and crafts, picture and word puzzles, board games and other activities that will enhance students' skills in critical thinking, listening, memory, visualization and concentration.
Outdoor Activities include outdoor play to develop Gross Motor Skills. The students go outside everyday as long as the weather permits them to do so. HCDC has well designed playgrounds that provide opportunity to build social, cooperative and imaginative play experiences because we believe that the children learn as they play and play as they learn. All the students will participate in gardening and cooking activities.
Clubs include music and dance, drama and arts, and culinary group. They will have once a week meeting with their group mates to showcase their habits, gifts and talents. A scheduled show will be presented to parents, relatives and friends from the community, to raise funds for recreational activities of the students.
We encourage students to express themselves creatively and develop self-confidence by providing them opportunities of doing so. We believe that learning is still continued after school as a child thinks, collaborates and solves problems anywhere. Our after-school programs are monitored by professional educators and child care providers.
Enrichment includes indoor activities such as reading, arts and crafts, picture and word puzzles, board games and other activities that will enhance students' skills in critical thinking, listening, memory, visualization and concentration.
Outdoor Activities include outdoor play to develop Gross Motor Skills. The students go outside everyday as long as the weather permits them to do so. HCDC has well designed playgrounds that provide opportunity to build social, cooperative and imaginative play experiences because we believe that the children learn as they play and play as they learn. All the students will participate in gardening and cooking activities.
Clubs include music and dance, drama and arts, and culinary group. They will have once a week meeting with their group mates to showcase their habits, gifts and talents. A scheduled show will be presented to parents, relatives and friends from the community, to raise funds for recreational activities of the students.
