Brockport Child Care Center Programs and Classrooms

Program

The heart and soul of the program is impossible to summarize in this Web-based Handbook. Nor is it adequately captured in the reports and newsletter articles we send home. The heart and soul of our program appears as the brightness in your child's eyes, the melody of shared laughter, the exuberance of movement, the pride of mastery, the burst of aha, the intimate, intricate details of everyday life at BCDC. Our high quality program is driven by teachers touching children's lives with skill and compassion. Visit us. Spend some time. Linger.

Currently there are nine classrooms. The age groupings are as follows:

2 Infant Rooms - Age eight weeks to 12 months
1 Toddler Room - Age 12 months to 24 months
2 Twoodler Rooms - Age 24 months to 36 months
2 Preschool Rooms - Ages three years to five years
2 School-age Rooms - Ages five years to 12 years

The Infant Program cares for children eight weeks to 12 months. We provide a loving environment staffed by special people who understand the needs of infants. At this stage of development, infants are deciding if the world is a place to be trusted or mistrusted. By consistently meeting their physical and emotional needs, we show our babies they can count on adults. Through our response to their cries, body language, or early verbalization, they learn that the world is a safe, predictable, trustworthy place. Through the use of age-appropriate toys, they learn basic facts about the world and about their ability to have an impact on it. Our infants are talked to, held, carried. They are kept clean and they are well fed. We want each baby entrusted to our care to thrive and flourish, and we do everything we can to make sure that they do.

Teachers:

Lynn Manuel (Group Teacher - Infant I)
Lynn began working at BCDC in 1974. Lynn has extensive training in caring for very young children including course work given by the University of Rochester, Monroe Community College, the Rochester Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester, NY.

Nikki Sharpe (Assistant Teacher - Infant I)
Nikki began wroking at BCDC in 2003 as a substitute and in 2007 as a permanent staff member.. She and Lynn provide loving care and education to our very youngest children.

Gertrud Albano (Group Teacher - Infant II)
Gertie began working at BCDC in 2007. She has over 19 years expereince in the field of early childhood education. Gertie has a CDA (Child Development Associate) in Infant/Toddler care and is currently working on her Associate degree at Empire State College.

Kim Myers (Assistant Teacher - Infant II)
Kim began working at BCDC in 2007. She has her BS degree in Health from The College at Brockport.

The Toddler Program cares for children from 12 months to two years. It is geared to provide a safe, healthy environment in which our children have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of experiences: from paint and paste to pegboards and play-doh, from blocks and beads to bikes and balance beams, and from stories and songs to slides and swings. We recognize that toddlers are struggling with issues of dependence versus independence, and so we provide both the security of structure and the freedom of making simple choices. Through the use of age-appropriate toys and activities we support and extend their emerging physical, intellectual and social skills, taking care that each receives the affection and nurturing so necessary for healthy development.

Teachers:

Rosie King (Group Teacher - Toddler I)
Rosie began working at Brockport Child Development Center in 2001. She has a CDA (Child Development Associate) in Infant/Toddler care and is working towards an Associates degree in Human Services.

Alice Powell (Assistant Teacher - Toddler I)
Alice began working at BCDC in 1976. Alice has received extensive on the job trainings through the Rochester Association for the Education of Young Children, the Western New York Child Care Council, and the Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester, NY.

Victoria Iacubucci (Group Teacher - Toddler II)
Victoria has been working with children of many diverse backgrounds for ten years. She graduated from Niagara University in 2011 with a BS in Childhood Education & Special Education. She miinored in Literacy and focused on three concentration areas (English, Mathematics, and Biology). She is currently pursuing her Master's degree at The College at Brockport.

Joy Chiff (Assistant Teacher - Toddler II)
Joy has worked in child care since 1990 at lakeside Child Care Center in the infant room. She has her CDA (Child Development Associate) in Infant/Toddler care.

The Twoodler Program cares for children ages two to three. These children are no longer toddlers, yet they are not quite pre-schoolers. Their growing skills require opportunities to experiment with a wide variety of materials and situations. Like Toddlers, Twoodlers are struggling with issues of dependence versus independence, and so we again provide both the security of structure and the freedom of making simple choices. We provide challenge and stimulation as these children become more and more self-sufficient. We recognize learning is built into activities, but the pressure to learn is not. As their language skills increase, children recieve special attention, providing many day-to-day chances to use this most vital new tool. And, of course, we provide warmth and security along with the finger paints and sandboxes, the jungle gyms and dress-up clothes, the puzzles and picture books.

Teachers:

Belinda Ettinger-Schultz (Group Teacher - Twoodler I)
Belinda joined the BCDC team in early 2012 as a Twooderler I teacher. She has worked in Early Childhood Education for 20 plus years. She holds a degree in Early Childhood Education and Human Services.

Jessica Grupka (Assistant Teacher - Twoodler I)
Jessica joined the center in 2012. She has a BS in Psychology and Health Science. She has 20+ credits in Early Childhood Education and enjoys working with children. She really enjoys all ages but especially is delighted nurturing twoodlers. She brings with her almost 10 years of experience working with children.

Cheryl Randall (Co-Group Teacher - Twoodler II)
Cheryl began working at BCDC in 2004. She has a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education from California State University Dominguez Hills. She has more than 12 years experience working with young children.

Cori Pittman (Co-Group Teacher - Twoodler II)
Originally from Brockport, Cori graduated from SUNY Cortland in 2011. Cori is certified to teach from birth up to 6th grade. She is very excited to be joining the Child Development Center staff and working with your children.

The Preschool Program cares for children ages three to five years. Since children learn from personal interaction and talking about their experiences, the teacher's role is to provide an environment that promotes active learning. Active learning occurs when the following ingredients are present: materials for each child, manipulation of those materials, choice by the child of what to do with the materials, words chosen and used by the child, and support by adults or peers that helps the child think about his or her actions. Each room is physically set up to promote each child's feeling of independence and competence. Areas are well defined, materials are easily accessible, and both areas and materials are clearly labeled. The daily routine follows a predictable pattern and varies only with prior notice. Because of this predictability, the children are able to anticipate the sequence of events. This leads to feelings of control over both their environment and their time. By giving attention to each child's needs and interests, our teachers are able to "customize" the curriculum and tailor a very personal educational fit.

Teachers:

Diane Buscaglia (Co-Group Teacher - Preschool I / UPK)
Diane joined BCDC in 2008. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education as well as eleven years of expereince in this field.

Julie Sweeney (Co-Group Teacher - Preschool I / UPK)
Julie began working at BCDC in 2008. She has a Masters of Science in Early Childhood Education from the University of Rochester, as well as sixteen years of expereince teaching young children.

David Hull (Group Teacher - Preschool II)
David began working at BCDC in 1988. David earned his Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Brockport where he majored in English and was certified to teach at the secondary level.

Kayla Carter(Co-Group Teacher - Preschool II)
Kayla joined the team here at BCDC, while she was attending classes on campus, as a subsititute teacher. She accepted a full time Assistant Teacher position in the Preschool II classroom in December 2011. She enjoys working with the preschoolers and being part of a teaching team with David.

Andrea Mendez (Co-Group Teacher- Preschool III)
Andrea began working at BCDC in 1999. Andrea has received training under the auspices of the Rochester Association for the Education of Young Children. Andrea has also attended training facilitated by SUNY faculty on play centered therapy approaches to difficult behaviors as well as a full day training through BOCES addressing behavior management problems in a Preschool educational setting.

Megan Bellinger (Co-Group Teacher - Preschool III)
Megan began working at BCDC in 2007. She has 18 plus years in the profession as well as an AAS degree in Early Childhood Education from SUNY Cobleskill.

The School-age Program cares for children ages five to 12. We offer before, and after-school care, as well as full day care on school holidays and during the summer months. The prime focus here is recreational. The children are offered both structured (teacher-directed) and unstructured (child-directed) choices of activities. These include games, crafts, sports, cooking, music, plays, computers and more. School-agers are in the process of learning how they fit in to the larger world. Rules and social opinions (peer pressure) are very important to them. Through playing games and participating in sports, they have the chance to practice and develop decision-making skills, teamwork, a sense of fair play, and how language can be used to communicate ideas and feelings. Our Summer Program offers an expanded opportunity for field trips, swimming, biking, bowling, and other activities. Since a good part of these children's free time is spent at the Center, we try to make that time as relaxing and enjoyable as we can.

Teacher:

Karen Rose (Group Teacher - School Age)
Karen began working at BCDC in 2000. Karen earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from SUNY Brockport in May, 2000.