Brown House Child Development Center at Holton-Arms seeks to provide the children of Holton-Arms School faculty and staff with a quality, on-site early childhood education program that supports the needs of a working parent. The Center’s priorities are to offer developmentally appropriate programs for every child in our care; in partnership with the parents, to create an environment that encourages the growth and enrichment of the whole child; and to provide developmentally appropriate experiences that contribute to all aspects of a child’s development in a safe, enriching, and nurturing environment.
Learn more about our Philosophy & Programs
Philosophy of Learning and Care
Philosophy of Learning and Care
Brown House educators believe that children learn best when they are initiators and constructors of their knowledge through exploration and their natural curiosity to learn about the world in which they live. By aligning our teachings with their development and interests, we provide children with the opportunity not only to learn about their world, but to experience and apply what they have learned so it becomes part of who they are.
Guiding Principals
At Brown House, we consider ourselves facilitators of our children's learning. Through careful observation, our teachers identify each child's interests and abilities and then construct lesson plans that support their growth socially and emotionally, physically and cognitively.
Our teachers foster confidence and self-esteem in children by providing authentic materials and props to encourage them to think openly and explore freely. This child-directed exploration develops confident and independent children.
Teachers provide routines, repetition and rituals which help build trust and independence in an emotionally nurturing environment.
The foundation of our program is built on respect. Respect for children, their families and our teachers. We want to provide an environment where children are nurtured and supported in their development.
We want families to be our partner so that we are able to provide the individualized care each child deserves. We want to provide a wonderful place for teachers to work where they feel supported and valued.
Brown House Early Childhood Educators
Holton-Arms is committed to providing a warm, safe, nurturing, and stimulating learning environment for children. We do this through our experienced and dedicated teaching staff and administration. All teachers must be Child Care Teacher certified through the Maryland State Department of Education Maryland Office of Child Care, pass Federal and State level background checks, health physicals, possess current certification in First Aid and CPR as well as meet the annual training requirements as outlined by the Office of Child Care to maintain child care teacher certification. All Brown House teachers are given a required teacher orientation upon the start of their employment and work directly with their supervisor to create and implement an annual professional development plan that will benefit both themselves and the age group they are teaching as well as the advancement of our program. Brown House teachers are evaluated annually by the director to provide feedback on professionalism and job performance. Holton-Arms Child Development Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Enrollment Policy
Enrollment at Brown House is open to faculty and staff of Holton-Arms School, Norwood School, Landon School, Primary Day School, and Burning Tree Elementary School on an annual contract. Priority is given to Holton-Arms School faculty and staff in the spring of each year for the upcoming academic year. Once the interest survey and contract process with Holton employees have been closed, available spaces are opened to children of employees of the other area schools mentioned on a first come, first served basis.
Parent Involvement
We provide many opportunities each year for parent involvement in our program and welcome any suggestions or ideas for more opportunities! Brown House hosts several family parties around holiday events and provides opportunities for families to volunteer in our classrooms and support and appreciate our teachers.
CONTACT US
If you are interested in finding out more about our program, rates, or would like to schedule a tour, please contact the Program Director, Tracy Ray at 301.767.2367.
HOURS OF OPERATION
The Center is open from the last week of August to the second week in June and is closed during the summer. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Brown House is licensed by the State of Maryland Office of Child Care, license # 34351.
Programs
Programs
Placement is determined first by birth date and then by space availability.
Caterpillars
(8 weeks through approximately 16 months) Student to teacher ratio is 1:3 with a maximum of 6 children and 2 teachers.
Children are provided with a homelike, nurturing environment that provides developmentally appropriate opportunities for growth. Our program values each child as an individual and as such, we recognize that they develop and achieve milestones at their own pace. We focus on what a child is able to do on their own and support their growth toward their next milestone achievement.
Grasshoppers
(1 year through approximately 2 years) Student to teacher ratio is 1:3 with a maximum of 6 children ad 2 teachers.
Our toddler program is a bridge from our infant room to the two-year old classroom. It is our goal to provide our toddlers with as many opportunities to do things on their own while they grow into themselves. A focus for toddler teachers is to empower their class and build positive self-esteem while supporting the children in their social/emotional skills by providing opportunities for group activities as well as individualized learning experiences.
Dragonflies
(2 years old by September 1 of current school year) Student to teacher ratio is 1:6 with a maximum of 8 children and 2 adults (teacher and assistant).
Two-year olds enjoy using their senses and motor skills to explore their world and are highly curious about unknown objects and events. Our two-year old program utilizes the Maryland State Department of Education's Healthy Beginnings developmental guidelines to direct classroom activities, planning, and structure in addition to encouraging in each child's learning experience. Experiences are offered to meet the differing abilities of the children and take into account how best each child learns.
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Sunshine Kids
(3 and 4 year olds, must be 3 by September 1 of current school year) Student to teacher ratio is 1:10 with a maximum of 15 children and two teachers.
We believe that children learn best when provided a safe and enriching environment in which to learn. Multi-age learning provides leadership opportunities for the older children as well as learning opportunities for the younger ages. The community effort that a multi-age learning environment promotes supports the children's development in all the domain area as outlined by the Maryland State Department of Education's "Healthy Beginnings" program and "Maryland Model for School Readiness" initiative. Teachers in this program implement The Creative Curriculum for Preschool which uses exploration and discovery as a way of learning. The Creative Curriculum for Preschool enables children to develop confidence, creativity, and lifelong critical thinking skills.
*Please note that the classroom age definitions are guidelines only and Brown House administration may make recommendations for different class placement based on a child's best interest and development.