Our Program Description

Program Description

“Love and Learning go Hand in Hand!”

Our Mission:

Children learn best when they feel safe, are loved, and are engaged in activities designed to stimulate their minds and imaginations. Our mission is to create a place where you and your child feel safe, accepted and valued. At Pine Hill Academy you have complete peace of mind about how your child will be cared for. We provide a sunny, fun filled environment where children will learn and grow.

Our Teachers:

We know that your standards for childcare are high, and so are ours. We seek qualified individuals who share our passion for loving and caring for children. Our teachers are dedicated to providing the best possible care for your child while helping them to learn and grow. They will not only work to foster a relationship with your child but will strive to form a solid relationship with you. You can rest assured that our teachers will care for your child as if they were their own. All of our staff are lifelong learners and are involved in continued professional development.

Our Curriculum:

Our curriculum for each age group encourages creative learning experiences and follows the Ohio Early Learning Standards. We base our daily learning activities on The Creative Curriculum developed by Diane Dodge and supported by the NAYEYC.

We abide by the following:

• We honor and follow appropriate theories of child development.
• Our program is Individualized to meet the needs of every child.
• Families are respected and encouraged to be a part of our program.
• Our environment is safe, healthy and offers a wide variety of toys and materials that stimulate creativity and higher level thinking.
• Your infant/child will learn something new everyday!
  

Our Classrooms:

Pine Hill has five unique classrooms for each of our age groups. We have identified specific instructional and social emotional goals that are appropriate for the age group attending the class. We are always looking for new ways to engage our little learners and we provide fun and engaging activities that are just right!

Little Acorns: Infants (6 weeks to 18 months) - Our infant classroom focuses on the following areas:

• Physical/Gross Motor Development - Learning to coordinate and strengthen large muscles through play time and tummy time.
• Language/Literacy Development - Listening to wonderful stories and interacting with books.
• Social/Emotional Development - We talk to our little ones during mealtimes, changing and play. We create a calm environment where little minds can grow. Our daily routines stimulate learning.
  

Baby Bears: Toddlers (18-24 months) - Our toddler classroom will focus on the following areas:

• Gross/Fine Motor Development - Developing coordination and motor control.
• Language/Literacy Development - Developing vocabulary and an awareness of books/print as well as a knowledge of the alphabet.
• Cognitive Development - Recognizing numbers, colors, and shapes is the beginning. We encourage learning by introducing new words and exploring through a variety of toys and manipulatives.
  

Bunnies: Early Preschool (2-3 years old) - Our early preschoolers are full of energy! Their classroom will focus on the following areas:

• Physical Development/Health - Learning muscle control and healthy practices by playing games and exploring new foods. We spend a lot of time outside engaging with nature and learning to be independent.
• Language/Literacy Development - Developing knowledge of the letters of the alphabet and learning to appreciate and select new books.
• Math/Cognitive Development - Learning shapes, patterns, colors, numbers, and sorting by playing with blocks and toys designed to teach.
• Social/Emotional Development - Teaching students to develop life skills and relationships through role playing and creative games.
  

Lil’ Owlets: Preschool (3-4 years old) - Our early preschool classroom will focus on the following areas:

• Physical Development/Health - Developing fine motor skills and muscle control.
• Language/Literacy Development - Developing phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge, print awareness, and pre-writing.
• Math/Cognitive Development - Recognizing numbers, performing simple operations with numbers, and learning to reason and engage in more complex play.
• Social/Emotional Development - Learning to make friends, reading good stories that teach life long lessons, and developing healthy friendships.
  

Golden Pine: School age - Our school age classroom is a place where students can work on homework, and so much more! We focus on the following areas:

• Language and Literacy - We provide a wide variety of literature and informational texts for our school agers. There are opportunities to explore technology and do research every day.
• Social/Emotional Development - We help our students strengthen their social skills by encouraging positive peer relationships. We build vocabulary and thinking skills by playing games, working together on projects, and building partnerships with community organizations.

Transitioning to a New Class: 

Our staff will work with you and your child to make transitions as smooth and easy as possible. Transitions are based upon your child’s age and developmental progress. The director will discuss the transition with you and your child’s teacher prior to the transition, in order to determine the best time and method for a successful class change.

Infant Care:

We know that each infant has individual sleeping and eating patterns. We follow those patterns for each of our little ones. We check for wet or soiled diapers every 1.5 hours or more frequently if needed. Your baby’s comfort is our goal. Please share your baby’s normal feeding and diapering schedule with our infant teacher during your initial conference.

Safe Sleep Practices:

In order to reduce the risk of SIDS, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends all infants are placed on their backs to sleep. Unless we are provided with a written instruction from a physician allowing another sleep position, all infants will be placed on their back in their crib. Nothing will be placed in a crib with our infants.

Breastfeeding:

If you would like to provide breastmilk for your child, we are equipped to store your milk for up to five days. In an effort to support the bonding experience between our infants and mothers, we provide an area designated for mommy and baby time.