Hilbert Early Education Center
Meeting Young Learners' Unique Needs
Preschoolers and kindergartners have different learning needs than elementary school children. The Hilbert Early Education Center provides a caring environment that encourages young children to grow in all areas of development, in a manner best for them.
Since early childhood is a time for exploration and development, each child is given freedom - within limits - to make decisions and choose activities. This freedom, partnered with small class sizes (11 students per class), allows each child to retain a unique personality while developing the self-discipline and control needed to listen and learn, both individually and with peers.
Nurturing the Young Learner's Families
Young children grow exponentially. This continual growth occurs in all areas of the child's life, including social, language, motor, memory, and cognition. The Hilbert Early Education Program provides a variety of parent education opportunities designed to help parents navigate the school environment and enhance their child's learning and social skills.
Programs include curricular discussions, brown bag lunches, coffee talks and outside speakers. These often informal get-togethers provide parents an opportunity to learn more about their own child's development and to establish a peer group of other like-minded parents. All parents in the Hilbert Early Education Center are asked to participate in at least two of these parenting opportunities every year.
Caring, Qualified Faculty
Our qualified faculty members work with all children to help them understand the outcome and consequences of choices and behavior in a supportive atmosphere designed to build respect and responsibility.
The faculty of the Hilbert Early Education Center all have college degrees; most have advanced degrees and have specialized in early childhood or kindergarten education. They frequently present papers at local, state and regional early education conferences. Each classroom pairs a teacher with an experienced assistant teacher, many of whom are bilingual and work with the Spanish component of the Hilbert Center program.
Philosophy
The Hilbert Early Education Center program is based on the educational philosophy that preschoolers and kindergartners:
• Learn best by being actively involved in hands-on experiences with a balance between teacher-selected and child-selected activities. These playful experiences lay the groundwork for more formal learning situations.
• Need a consistent, caring relationship between child and teacher.
• Need parents who are supportive, encouraging partners with teachers, communicating regularly regarding their child.
• Need times each day to refresh and renew their energies.
• Need a balance between social and independent activities.
• Develop competencies in social, gross/fine motor, emotional, aesthetic and cognitive skills in varied ways and at varied rates.
• Need a safe environment scaled to their physical size that includes a wide variety of materials.
• Should be encouraged in the development of basic values such as curiosity, achievement, resourcefulness, respect and responsibility.
• Are ready to increase their awareness and understanding of the rich, diverse world around them.
Curriculum
The programs in the Hilbert Early Education Center offer a varied, active environment in which young learners can move and choose freely among activities, materials and learning options.
• "Hands-on" activities easily accommodate varied learning styles and individual needs, and are a proven foundation for all learning. This involvement also provides challenges and opportunities for each child to move beyond his or her current level and establish a comprehensive base for successful learning in years to come.
• Spanish is completely integrated into the Hilbert Center curriculum. Language study at an early age enables the student to develop better accents, a respect and appreciation for cultural diversity, a clearer understanding of his own language and world, greater fluency, and enhanced listening and thinking skills.
Our Spanish teachers work with the classroom teacher and assistants to integrate Spanish into the classroom themes and daily activities of the preschool child.
Preschool Kindergarten
• Opportunities for exploring and guided discovery
• Five days per weeks, half-day program
• Morning (8-10:50 a.m.) or afternoon (noon-2:50 p.m.) session
• 10-11 children in each session with 1 teacher and 1 teaching assistant
Daily highlights:
• Flexible arrival time for first half-hour
• Self-chosen activities
• Learning centers (books, art, computer, math manipulatives, pretend area, blocks)
• Introduction to Spanish (activity centers, stories, songs, casual conversation)
• Snack
• Quiet time
• Play time, outdoors or in large-muscle room
• Physical education and music classes taught by specialists
• Optional full-day program
Junior Kindergarten (JK)
• Five days per week, half-day program
• Morning (8-10:50 a.m.) or afternoon (noon-2:50 p.m. session)
• 15-16 children in each session with 1 teacher and 1 teaching assistant
Daily highlights:
• Gathering time on playground
• Group time
• Learning center assignments
• Activities (physical education, music, computers)
• Quiet time
• Snack
• Story, rhymes and singing
• Spanish
• Optional full-day program
Senior Kindergarten (SK)
• Five days per week, full day program (8 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
• 15-16 children per room with 1 teacher and 1 teaching assistant
Daily highlights:
• Multisensory language arts program
• Hands-on math program
• Integrated science and social studies program
• Weekly computer class, gym, music and library
• Spanish
• Snack
• Rest
• Free-choice time
• Integrated technology program to supplement language arts and math curriculum
Facilities
• 5 classrooms
• cooking and dining areas
• physical education room
• fenced playground
Expanded Care Options
• Before School Supervision beginning at 7:15 a.m. Milk and cereal provided free of charge.
preschool or junior kindergarten programs for an additional fee. Children are able to practice their Spanish skills while cooking, singing, and playing games. Flexible programs help to meet the pace of each child. Lunch and a snack are provided.
• After School Care from 2:50-6 p.m. for an additional fee. Supervised activities and snacks are provided.
