According to its long-term policy, the Child Development Program will continue to follow the schedule of Upper Arlington public school. While UA public schools are out, the CDP will be out.  When UA public schools resume, the CDP will resume.  If school does not resume this spring, we will not collect tuition for April and May, and will issue partial refunds for March.  Teachers will be paid for the remainder of the school year.

Enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year will begin on Monday, February 3rd, 2020 at 9:00 am. Registration information and forms may be found by clicking on the Child Development Program tab on this website. Feel free to visit for a tour of the center during the month of January on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday morning at 9:30 am. You may also email Nancy at nancy.vanfossen@engagedbygrace.org. to arrange another tour time. The center office is located at the playground/Glenn Avenue entrance of the building.

The preschool is getting so excited for Christmas. The classrooms resemble the North Pole and the music is joyful as we practice for the Holiday Gathering on Friday, December 13^th when the preschool classes will present various holiday songs for their adoring families’ entertainment. The performance is followed by a reception and an art gallery display. It is a joyous celebration indeed!

We thank the families of the program for their continued support and spirit of generous giving. Their Thankoffering food donations were amazing and the children learned and demonstrated caring and sharing with others as they proudly placed items in the wheelbarrow.

The Hat and Mitten Tree is another opportunity for the children and families of the center to practice giving again this year. Warm hats, mittens, gloves, scarves and socks will be collected to adorn the tree in the Gathering Place in December. All of the items collected will be sent to Lutheran Social Service for distribution in January. We enjoy partnering with the church in this important project!

I’m looking forward to the wonderful sound of children filling Holy Trinity this Advent season.
Nancy VanFossen, Director

Enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year will begin on Monday, February 4th, 2019 at 9:00 am. Registration information and forms may be found by clicking on the Child Development Program tab on this website. Feel free to visit for a tour of the center during the month of January on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday morning at 9:30 am. You may also email Nancy at nancy.vanfossen@engagedbygrace.org. to arrange another tour time. The center office is located at the playground/Glenn Avenue entrance of the building.

Active learning takes advantage of children’s natural desire to move and touch. Young children love to manipulate items and explore new ideas. They enjoy the opportunity to see how things work and to test their own theories.

Active learning takes advantage of children’s natural motivations, abilities, and interests. Kids get lots of opportunities to investigate what interests them – to solve problems, discover relationships, and make comparisons.

Children use all their senses to make discoveries: how heavy is it? does it smell? can I find another one that feels the same? what does it sound like when I drop it? how is it different from the other items? Using their hands, eyes, nose, ears, and mouth to explore an item, children gather more information and remember what they learn.

As they interact directly with the environment, children not only gather sensory information, they also refine their senses and motor skills. For example, it takes very refined movement of the hands and fingers to produce the penmanship required for writing. Squeezing clay, picking up puzzle pieces, and lacing threads through beads are ways for young children to practice using hands and fingers.

We organize the classroom environment to promote active learning, and we do lots of things to encourage children to think and talk about their discoveries and creations. The next time you want your child to learn about something, provide the materials, space, and time. Then step back and watch. You will be surprised at how much more the child will discover through active involvement.

Have you ever heard someone remark about an early childhood program – even ours, perhaps – “All the children do there is play”? At good early childhood programs there is a lot of play – and there should be!

Years of research on children’s learning and development document the many benefits of play for children’s intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and language development. Children at play are actively involved in creating themes, exploring and establishing environments, solving problems, and developing shared understandings.

Children play in many ways. They play independently, sometimes near each other but with each child engrossed in his own activity. They engage in what is called “parallel play, ” perhaps using each others’ toys or even talking, but not coordinating their play. They also play cooperatively, organizing roles and scenarios for group play. As they get older, children are capable of more cooperative, coordinated play. But all kinds of play are valuable.

As kids play with each other, they learn to see other children’s points of view and begin to become more empathetic and caring. They come to understand customs and rules in their own culture and to appreciate those of others. They learn to use language in new ways to describe their play and to interact with others. And in play, children develop their muscles and coordination.

Adults support children’s play by providing space, opportunity, and materials. We set up areas where kids can play without fear of damaging furniture or injuring themselves. We make sure that they have the time to choose and to become engaged in their own play activities. And when we provide them with simple, interesting materials – no newfangled, expensive gadgets required – kids take it from there.

Play is fun. But it also is serious business that pays big dividends to its eager, young investors.

Do you remember your first day at preschool? It’s a big deal!
We want to do everything we can to make your child’s beginning here as smooth as possible. The parent orientation on Monday, August 29th (6:30 pm) is designed to fill you in on specifics. Remember, this meeting is for parents only. If you haven’t yet visited the program with your child, we encourage you to come to the preschool walk-through on Tuesday, August 30th between 9:00 and 11:00 am. Your child may look around the classroom, get acquainted with teachers, and enjoy a popsicle on the playground. Your child will also receive a welcome postcard from the teachers.
Transitions can be tricky! Before the program starts, you may want to read a few books with starting-school themes and discuss preschool routines. Our preschool day begins at 9:00 am. Arriving on time and walking in with other children helps ease anxiety and separation. When it is time to leave, please don’t slip out when your child isn’t looking. Your child needs to know when you are going and be able to say goodbye. Don’t worry. We’ll take it from there 🙂

Please join Holy Trinity Child Development Program for an all-school field trip to Circle S Farms on Thursday, October 6, 2016 at 9:00 am.  (There are no preschool classes on that day.)  Circle S is located at 9015 London-Groveport Road, Grove City, OH 43123.  The cost is $7.50 per person.  (Children under 2 are admitted free, but they will not receive a pumpkin, donut, or apple juice.  Parents can give them theirs or buy them their own ticket.)

Siblings, friends, and family are welcome! Admission ticket includes: Hayride, pumpkin, donut and apple juice, fun barn, petting zoo, corn and sunflower mazes, and bale cave.

Columbus Speech & Hearing is coming to our center Thursday, September 29, 2016. The cost is $10.00 for a speech screening and $10.00 for a hearing screening. The speech screening will offer a brief survey of communication skills (speech sounds, what your child understands, how he/she uses words to communicate, flow and rate of speech and vocal quality) to identify concerns. The hearing screening is to quickly identify the presence of a hearing impairment and/or middle ear problem.
Children are taken from their classrooms to the church library (by staff) and meet with Pam France in groups of 3-4 to complete one or both screenings. A written summary of the screening is provided, however I encourage parents to attend the screening if you have specific concerns to talk directly with Pam about the results. This a great opportunity for a reasonable cost, to have these screenings performed by a licensed speech-language pathologist.
The center offers this opportunity on site as part of our commitment to quality care. The cost of $10.00 per screening is the fee of Columbus Speech and Hearing. If cost is a deterrent or hindrance to obtaining a screening, please see me to discuss further.

It’s official. Holy Trinity’s Child Development Program is top-rated in the state, earning a 5-Star rating for the second year in a row! Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) is a five–star quality rating and improvement system administered by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. SUTQ recognizes and promotes learning and development programs that meet quality program standards that exceed licensing health and safety regulations. The program standards are based on national research identifying standards which lead to improved outcomes for children. Congratulations to the staff of Holy Trinity’s Child Development Program for their professionalism and dedication to early childhood development. For more information on Step Up to Quality, go to http://www.earlychildhoodohio.org/sutq.stm. To find out more about the Child Development Program or to complete an enrollment form, please click on http://www.engagedbygrace.org/preschool/.