About
We have been providing quality childcare for children ages 18 months to 12 years for more than 30 years.
Hawthorne on Essex Daycare
Hawthorne-On-Essex Daycare is a licensed non-profit community based childcare centre serving children attending Essex Public School and Hawthorne II Bilingual Alternative School as well as children in the community from ages 18 months to 12.
Our daycare provides a safe, educational, fun and loving environment for your children. By offering an array of opportunities for children to build upon their existing strengths and skills as well as discover new ones, we guide children to become empathetic, respectful, self-reliant and empowered individuals. Our play-based curriculum helps by preparing each child academically, socially, emotionally and physically for kindergarten readiness.
Program Statement
Hawthorne on Essex Daycare inc. is dedicated to supporting children’s learning, development, health and well-being through caring and responsive Early Childhood Educators, who focus on active learning, exploration, play and inquiry, and who see children and their families as competent and able, and as active participants in all aspects of the program.
A key feature of the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 is the focus on strengthening child care programs and ensuring high quality experiences for children. The CCEYA authorizes the Ministry of Education to issue policy statements regarding programming and pedagogy for the purpose of guiding operators of child care and early years’ programs. How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s pedagogy for the Early Years (2014) is the document used by Hawthorne on Essex Daycare Inc. This statement will be reviewed annually to ensure it is aligned with the Minister’s policy statement.
In Centre Kitchen
We run an in-centre kitchen and provide fresh, health and mostly vegetarian lunches for our toddler, preschool and kindergarten children. Our wholesome and often inventive meals are well received by kids and many parents are surprised how many new things their children will try at daycare. Our cook, Mary, develops our menu on a seasonal basis with a six-week rotation.
Policies and Procedures
The Hawthorne on Essex Family Handbook contains everything you need to know about our daycare and its policies and procedures.
Does Learning Happen is organized around four foundational conditions that are considered essential to optimal learning and healthy development for children.
Belonging
Belonging refers to a sense of connectedness to others, an individual’s experiences of being valued, of forming relationships with others and making contributions as part of a group, a community, the natural world around them.
Well-Being
Well-being addresses the importance of physical and mental health and wellness. It incorporates capacities such as self-care, sense of self, and self-regulation skills.
Engagement
Engagement suggests a state of being involved and focused. When children are able to explore the world around them with their natural curiosity and exuberance, they are full engaged. Through this type of play and inquiry, they develop skills such as problem solving, creative thinking, and innovating, which are essential for learning and success in school and beyond.
Expression
Expression or communication (to be heard, as well as listen) may take many different forms. Through their bodies, words and use of materials, children develop capacities for increasingly complex communication. Opportunities to explore materials support creativity, problem solving skills, which are foundational for literacy.