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Aotearoa – A Learning Tapestry
In this blog post, Paty Ruas (Mentor Educator at Hilltop) reflects on her powerful learning experience while recently attending the annual Early Childhood Study Tour in Aotearoa New Zealand. You can learn more about this Study Tour on our website and reach out to us at ANZTour@hilltopcc.org if you’d like to attend a future tour! Ah, Aotearoa New Zealand! I […]
Nature & Community: Portals of Connection
By Lara McKaye – School Age Educator and Executive Assistant at Hilltop The natural world is like a vibrant classroom, offering us a chance to learn not only about the creatures and ecosystems around us, but also about ourselves. In July 2023, the children of Hilltop’s School Age Summer Camp enjoyed a special outing to Golden Gardens Park for a […]
A Filipinx Lens on ECE
“Being vulnerable and sharing a piece of yourself might be the hardest thing we do as humans. What if we are rejected? What if we aren’t liked? What if we are othered? Being part of a group that is often lumped in with others, the world often forgets just how brilliant and beautiful our people are. In this interview, Mike […]
Processing During Challenging Times
I used to think that there were thoughts that needed to be filed under a mental cabinet called “the things I will never say or think about ever again”. I used to think that if I were to say some of my thoughts out loud, they would take their own form, create little legs, run away and cause chaos everywhere. […]
Starting an Infant Program – Part 1
My palms were sweaty for the first time in a long time. I hadn’t figured out the bottle warmers yet. My co-teacher, Andrea (she/her), and I talked about the sensory experiences we wanted to bring in. We arranged our room to be cozy and homey. The familiar sight and scents of our rainbow room, a room I had just spent […]
We Are in Mourning
Preface: This blog is a reflection of the conversation educators in River Room at Hilltop had with their 3-5 year olds when news broke that the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found. Acknowledgements: I want to start by honoring and thanking Queen Anne’s Program Supervisor, Theresa (she/her), an Indigenous womxn from the Crow Nation, whom in a conversation last […]
Collaboration and Critique with an Anti-Bias Foundation: Designing Classroom Murals
“I’ve always wanted to have a classroom mural created by kids.” I honestly cannot remember what my co-teachers and I were talking about before this came out of my mouth, but from that point on, it was inevitable – we would have a mural. We actually ended up with three, one of which was a mural installed at a bus stop shelter across the street from Hilltop at our […]
Unpacking anti-Asian rhetoric and Violence
Remember your hand placement. Remember to smile. Remember to ask permission to reach over. No sudden movements Mike, no sudden movements. My mind raced. My heart was beating twice as fast. The thought of “will I be another hashtag” floated in my mind. Last night, on St. Patrick’s day, I got pulled over. I was doing 35 in a 30 […]
Jewelry, Art and Social Justice
The pandemic exposed a lot things in our society. How little regard we have for educators especially early childhood educators and the childcare system. How we view, treat, and support or Black, Brown, Indigenous, brothers, sisters, and two-spirits. How White Supremacy and the manifestation of racism is embedded in every fabric of society. How empathy and compassion can go a […]