DEGREES | SCHEDULE OF CLASSES | SCHOLARSHIPS
Welcome to the Children's School, conveniently located on the third and fourth floors of Thayer Hall on the Point Park University campus in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh. The Children’s School is licensed by the Department of Public Welfare and the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. The Children’s School is proud to have earned a Star-Three rating by the keystone STARS program. In our accredited programs, you’ll see frequent, positive, warm interactions among adults and children. We offer:
- Experience, degreed staff
- Breakfast, hot lunch and snack provided
- High/Scope Curriculum implements developmentally appropriate routines and activities
- Spacious outdoor play deck
- Planned learning activities appropriate to children's age and development
- Frequent field trips for Preschool through Kindergarten
- Gym Program through the YWCA for Preschool through Kindergarten
- Indoor Motor Room for infants and toddlers
- Parent Involvement Opportunities, including Parent Breakfasts and Lunchtime Parenting Programs, Field Trips and Fundraisers
- Participation with Easter Seals Disability Awareness Program
- Facility protected by an electronic surveillance security system
Programs Offered:
- Infants 6 weeks to one year
- Young toddlers1-2 years of age
- Older toddlers 2-3 years of age
- Early Preschool 3-4 years of age
- Preschool 4-5 years of age
- PDE Licensed Full Day Kindergarten
Accreditation
Point Park Children's School is one of only three accredited programs in Downtown Pittsburgh and one of the first centers accredited in 1987 by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs (NAEYC). The Children's School also benefits from affiliation with the Point Park Education Department. Accredited programs have demonstrated a commitment to providing a high-quality program for young children and their families. While the accreditation progress examines the total program, emphasis is placed on the quality of interactions among teachers and children and the developmental appropriateness of the curriculum-what really happens to the children. Health and safety, staffing, staff qualifications, physical environment, and administration are all reviewed during accreditation, but primary consideration is given to the nature of the child's experience.
High/Scope Curriculum
The High/Scope Curriculum effectively combines sound educational theory with developmentally appropriate classroom experiences. Our early childhood curriculum encourages both children and adults to initiate learning experiences. Through daily planning and evaluation sessions, adults provide activities and generate strategies to challenge children's emerging abilities and to encourage children to develop and pursue their own interests, talents and goals. The High/Scope Curriculum helps adults focus on developmental principles and encourages them to build on children's existing strengths and accomplishments. For further information on how the Point Park Children's School utilizes the High/Scope Curriculum please call (412) 392-3970.
Admissions
With continued enrollment growth in Point Park University’s undergraduate and graduate programs, and the related need for space to deliver those academic programs, the University has decided to phase out operations of the Children’s School by June 2011. As part of the transition to closure, the University will no longer accept new children into the existing child care program. The Children’s School will close the kindergarten program as of June 2010, and no summer camp will be offered.
Schedule
The Children's School is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. offering full-time and limited part-time enrollment. Infants and toddlers are enrolled for a 12-month program from September through August. Preschool and Kindergarten are enrolled in a 12-month program, which consists of a September though May program and a June through August Summer program. Daily schedules and monthly calendars are provided by each classroom teacher. Parents who work Downtown are welcome to stop in and visit throughout the day.
Point Park Children’s School
401 Thayer Hall
Main Number: (412) 392-3970
Fax: 412-392-3968
Thom Burns, Interim Director, ext: 1970: tburns@pointpark.edu
