“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 […]
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 […]
Seattle Preschool Program
Hilltop set to become a Seattle Preschool Provider Hilltop will join over 120 providers in providing high-quality, affordable preschool to children across the City of Seattle. Seattle, WA – Published on Mar 9th, 2021 – Hilltop Children’s Center and Educator Institute has been accepted into the Seattle Preschool Program (SPP). Hilltop, a reggio-inspired preschool, afterschool program, and early learning professional […]
Language is a Construct
It wasn’t only until 1990 that the United States adopted the Native Americans Language Act. That means for the last 400+ years prior to that, not only did we try to eradicate Indigenous identity or culture, but we had policies and systems in place that was meant to erase their language… Language is something we often take for granted. But with […]
White America (Almost) Stole My Soul
“Which part of you do you leave at the door in order to survive?” – Michael Browne (he/him), Community Engagement Manager at Hilltop This question has made an impact in the way I think about my own identity. The first time I heard it out loud was on Episode Two (Deathmetal & Toddlers) on the podcast, Napcast, (Napcast is a […]
Colores y Emociones
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.2″] Looking to introduce a new language during your home days? Or perhaps you’re looking for ways to support your child’s language development skills? Here’s one way Jill, Spanish Teacher at Hilltop, uses colors and emotions to support children’s language acquisition in the classroom and everyday life! The language […]
Can Kids Go to Jail?
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.2″] Children are naturally curious about things that we adults sometimes have a challenging time wrapping our minds around. And children sometimes feel even more curious as our own discomfort grows. Recently, despite my own discomfort, I decided to engage with a subject that stirs distressing feelings for me: […]
Literacy Ideas for Home
Literacy is more than just learning how to read. It consist of reading, writing, creating, and other forms of emergent markings that represents their thoughts and ideas. Children as young as 2 years old begin to imitate the act of writing and if we build on children’s experience as they grow, they’ll not only just learn how to read, write […]
Learning Stories Conference 2021
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.5.1″] SALSA TAPS HILLTOP AS NEXT CONFERENCE HOST Seattle, WA has been selected to welcome the 3rd annual Learning Stories Conference in June 2021 Seattle, WA – Published on July 21st, 2020 – Hilltop Children’s Center and Educator Institute has been named the host of the 3rd […]