A longtime destination for early childhood education in the Highlands Park in Ben Lomond has new owners and a new lease on life in the wake of a July 1, 2013 acquisition by the nonprofit Community Bridges.
Originally known as the Children’s Center of the San Lorenzo Valley — a co-operative preschool founded in the 1970s, the preschool is now named the Highlands Park Child Development Center.
According to Community Bridges Site Supervisor Maia Mosher-D’Andrea, the preschool has four fully trained teachers and can accommodate children from the ages of 3 months to 5 years.
“We’re fully operational center now,” she said. “(Community Bridges was) able to buy it and take ownership and make it a fabulous preschool.”
The preschool is one of six such child development centers that Community Bridges operates throughout Santa Cruz County.
Currently, Mosher-D’Andrea said that the school has 15 children enrolled across three age-specific classes: infants from 3 to 18 months; toddlers from 18 to 30 months; and preschoolers from 30 months to 5 years of age.
“There are three separate rooms with three different licenses,” she said.
Mosher-D’Andrea described the style of teaching at the preschool as being play-based learning, with children learning social interaction and how to associate learning as a positive thing through fun.
“We value play for children’s learning,” she said. “Children learn from play, they learn about how to relate to one another and how to be successful, happy and lifelong learners.”
Since Community Bridges acquired the school, Mosher-D’Andrea said that several additions have been made to the classrooms, particularly the new reading loft which was installed by volunteers before the beginning of the year.
The center operates Mondays through Fridays, between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.. Mosher-D’Andrea said that, within the hours of operation, the center is very flexible about hours and offers half-days, three-quarter days to fit around parents’ schedules.
Prices, she said, are set on a sliding scale based on the parents’ income.
To officially kick off 2014, the center will host an open house of the facilities between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan 11. Children’s activities, games, and sing-along music will be available, as will refreshments.
For more information about the Highlands Park Child Development Center, visit www.communitybridges.orgor call 336-2857
Open House
When: Saturday, Jan. 11, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: 8490 Highway 9, in Ben Lomond
Details: Activities, games and refreshments to introduce the Highlands Park Child Development Center.
Info: 336-2857
– To comment, email reporter Joe Shreve at
jo*@pr*********.com
, call 438-2500 or post a comment at www.pressbanner.com.
