2016 Annual Report

Contents

Message from the Director

The 2015-16 year marks our 10th year in our “new” building – and our 90th year as a Smith College early childhood program! The program continues to be highly respected by families and early childhood colleagues for the quality of the education and care. The program provides both direct service and indirect support to the college, seeking to fulfill its mission to:

  • provide child care to Smith-affiliated and other members of the community;
  • support the academic mission of the college by providing a site for students and faculty to conduct research, observations, and child study; and,
  • model exemplary early education and care.

The program successfully met the goals of this mission, enrolling the greatest percentage of Smith-affiliated families in recent years; employing 18 student workers; collaborating on research projects with faculty and students; offering students opportunities to complete coursework and observations; and, hosting visitors from peer institutions to observe the program.

I extend my sincere appreciation and thanks to the Fort Hill community of educators whose efforts have resulted in this successful year. It is truly an honor to work with such dedicated, caring, and professional teachers. I look forward to continued growth and learning together.

Parents participated in a Family Survey in the spring to share feedback on the program. Quotes from families reveal their appreciation for the quality of the program and the challenges they face in balancing the demands of their workplaces with a system that supports the teachers with monthly professional days.

The dedication and training of the staff and faculty are exemplary, which is the primary reason we would recommend it. We drop off our daughter each day knowing that she is cared for, learning a ton, becoming comfortable in her body, being creative, and learning to interact and work with others.

The teachers and administrators! All of you work so hard and so well together to create an atmosphere in which our kids can learn, play, and explore with abandon. Fort Hill is amazing.

We understand the importance of professional development days and time off for the incredibly hard working staff, who are the school’s greatest resource. That said, with two demanding full-time jobs, it can sometimes be a scramble to find alternate child care.

Facility

The facility received a number of exterior and interior enhancements in 2015-16, including:

  • the exterior of the building was painted prior to the opening of school in August;
  • the parking lot was paved and new lights were installed in the parking lot and in the back of the building;
  • the building was retrofitted with LED lights and sensor-operated hand towel dispensers; and,
  • a former Smith College student collaborated with parents and teachers to build raised garden beds on both playgrounds. These beds formed the basis of a gardening program that engaged all the children and teachers in planning, planting, harvesting, and preparing food.

Programmatic Initiatives

Several programmatic initiatives were accomplished in 2015-16.

  • The process and protocols for faculty and students conducting research at Fort Hill were clarified and posted on a website for researchers and staff to access.
  • An online process for recording and scoring the ASQ-3™ and ASQ-SE™ Developmental Questionnaires® screenings was implemented.
  • All computers were synced to Google Photos for automatic back up and additional security to monitor for appropriate use.
  • Administrative forms, such as goal-setting and time-off requests, were recreated on Google Forms to increase accessibility and improve record keeping.
  • The process, documents, and practices for orienting new staff and student workers were improved, with all relevant documents available on Google Drive. All new staff now receive a comprehensive notebook and an extensive orientation program with several staff members.
  • The vision and mission of the visual arts studio were redefined. (Link to studio page).
  • A music assessment tool was adapted and implemented to better understand children’s musical development, guide the development of the music program, and communicate with families and teachers about the program and children’s development.
  • An online system to inventory all shared materials in the building was selected and developed. The system includes a lending system to provide easy access and accountability for shared materials and improve management of our resources, e.g., organization, repair and replacement, and fiscally responsible purchasing.
  • A new marketing and promotion strategy, which includes an enhanced online presence, was developed and implemented. The strategy includes search engine optimization, Google Business, Facebook, Yelp, and Google Plus.
  • Preschool teachers’ planning time was increased by 5 hours per week in each of the three preschool classrooms.
  • A mentoring system to support teachers new to the philosophy and approach used at the school was developed and implemented.

Staffing and Enrollment

Fort Hill enrolled 64 families for the 2015-16 academic-year in 6 classrooms: an infant room, two toddlers rooms, and three preschool rooms. Of the 74 children enrolled, 66.22% were children of Smith-affiliated parents (49 total children: 29 faculty and 20 staff), which represents the greatest percentage of Smith families in the past six years and the second highest total number of Smith families (53 Smith children were enrolled in 2014-15).

The program employed 30 regular staff and 18 student workers. One student, Franny Eremin ’16, writes of her experience:

It has been an absolute joy to work at Fort Hill. I never expected something that started as a work study job to become such a formative part of my Smith experience – it will be hard to say goodbye on Tuesday!

Three staff members resigned during the 2015-16 academic-year. These teachers left Fort Hill to attend graduate school, to stay home with a new baby, and to teach in public school.

Fort Hill strives to support the individual needs of all children and to collaborate with community organizations to provide families and children with comprehensive programming and support. Of the 74 children enrolled in the program, 17% received services from outside agencies, including the REACH Early Intervention program, the Northampton Public Schools, and therapists in professions such as speech and language or occupational therapy. Fort Hill collaborated with these organizations and individuals to ensure that, to the greatest degree possible, children’s experiences were coordinated and consistent.

Of the 47 preschoolers, 25 children were age-eligible to enroll in kindergarten in the fall of 2016.  These children will be attending a variety of schools, including Public Schools (14 children), the Smith College Campus School (9 children), and charter schools (2 child).

CECE operated three additional revenue-generating programs during the year:

  • a March program to offer 3 days of programming during Spring Recess, which enrolled 30 children;
  • an Extended Care program to provide programming until 6:00 pm to cover faculty and department meetings. This program is funded by the Dean of the Faculty office and served 11 families on 19 days; and,
  • an Extra Time program that allows families to purchase additional time on an as-needed basis and served 15 children.

Professional Development

The professionalism of the teachers at Fort Hill is one of the program’s greatest strengths. The teachers participate in a wide variety of professional development activities throughout the year. Below is a sample of the professional engagement in 2015-16.

  • Shared Reading of Vivian Paley’s You Can’t Say You Can’t Play.
  • Staff presentations to other organizations and schools
    • Williams College
    • Boston Area Reggio-Inspired Network Conference
  • Coursework, Earned degrees and Certifications
    • Three enrolled in courses
    • One master’s degree completed
    • Six EEC certifications (including director II, supervising teacher and teacher)
  • Presentations to the staff
    • Smith Faculty
      • Susan Etheredge – Early Literacy
      • Phil Peake – Delay of Gratification
      • Shannon Audley – Social Exclusion
    • Fort Hill supervising teachers and administration
      • Principles of the Reggio Emilia Approach
      • Documentation
      • First Steps in Music
      • Mini-Stories
      • Assessing Musical Development
      • Curriculum Sharing and Discussion
      • Minds, Brains, and How Babies Learn: From Infants to Society – Zero to Three video – Patricia Kuhl and Andrew Meltzoff
      • Making Connections: How Executive Function and Self-Regulation Form the Basis for Lifelong Learning and Success – Zero to Three Video – Alderman and McClelland
  • External conferences and meetings. including but not limited to:
    • NAEYC
    • Hartt School of Music Summerterm
    • National Coalition of Campus Children’s Centers
    • 92nd Street Y Wonderplay
    • Jerome Kagan
    • BAEYC Babies and Toddlers
    • Mass AEYC
    • Temple Grandin

Research and Academic Support

Fort Hill supported the academic mission of the College in a variety of ways. These include:

  • supporting the research projects of four faculty members representing Smith College, Amherst College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst;
  • offering students in four different Smith courses opportunities to complete coursework and observations at the school; and,
  • hosting visitors from six peer institutions, including one in Beijing, to observe the program and engage in dialogue with Fort Hill teachers. This program generates revenue for the school.

A visitor notes:

What a beautiful and inspiring space you have! It is uncommon to see a program in which the teaching AND the environment are equally of the highest quality. I treasure the example.